A nine-year-old girl received a bone cancer diagnosis after her symptoms were initially dismissed as ‘growing pains’ by doctors.
Ava Ferguson from Edinburgh began experiencing discomfort, which her mother, Samantha, initially took to the doctors, only to be reassured it was part of the growing process.
Days later, Ava was sent home from school due to the severity of her pain, prompting her concerned mother to bring her to the hospital.
At the hospital, the initial suspicion was that Ava might be suffering from ‘reactive arthritis’ as a result of a previous viral infection. After taking a blood sample at Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Ava was given painkillers and sent home.
However, when a haematologist reviewed Ava’s blood results, she was called back for further tests. About a month after her initial visit, the family received devastating news.
Ava was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare type of cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow, most commonly seen in children under four, according to the National Health Service (NHS).
Her mother, Samantha, expressed the shock of the diagnosis saying: “It’s the worst moment I could imagine as a parent or a person, having to hear that. We were absolutely devastated, my husband and I just fell apart.”
She continued: “It was Friday, so we had to make the decision as to whether we told her or whether we gave ourselves the weekend to process it ourselves.
“Ava is incredibly bright, she knew when we came back into the room. We burst into tears and told her.”
Ava began chemotherapy treatment, staying in the hospital for three weeks before being allowed home just in time for Christmas.
Currently, Ava undergoes a weekly lumbar puncture to receive chemotherapy directly into her spine.
Since her treatment began, Ava has only managed to visit her school once to see her friends and faces two more years of chemotherapy. Samantha explained: “She’s got two years of treatment, then six months after she’s completed her treatment and been all cleared, she has to go through her immunisations again as if she’s a baby.”
She added, “The nurses and doctors on the ward deserve credit for the amazing support, along with the LoveOliver charity and other organizations.”
The family is planning a future trip to the Capybara Cafe in Tokyo for Ava and has set up a GoFundMe page to help make the trip possible.
“The plan is to get some travel brochures and to go through what she wants to do, and come up with an ideal itinerary for her,” Samantha said.
“It will give her focus, but it’s going to be years before we can go.
Samantha also advised other parents to trust their instincts, saying: “Parents just need to trust their instincts when it comes to their children: people don’t know them outside of your home.
“If you think something’s wrong it’s really important to push and get it checked properly.”
You can visit the GoFundMe here.