A GIRL with a rare life-threatening condition has been given a second chance of life after a “hero” donor was found, her mother has revealed.
Three-year-old Ava Stark was diagnosed with inherited bone marrow failure in May 2016 and relied on blood and platelet transfusions to keep her from bleeding to death.
She needed a bone marrow transplant to give her a chance of survival and twice a donor was found only for it to fall through at the last moment due to medical reasons.
Her mother Marie, of Lochgelly in Fife, said Ava had a bone marrow transplant on November 25, and the date is now “Ava’s second birthday”.
She revealed her daughter’s first words to her after waking up were: “My hero’s been.”
Marie said: “She got a bone marrow transplant in November and everything was fine – her chemotherapy went quite smoothly. She had a bone marrow biopsy on December 29 so we are just waiting on the results coming back from that. If it has worked it has given her a second chance of life.”
Marie knew Ava would need a transplant after her diagnosis, but there were fears due to the tiny pool of suitable potential donors.
Desperate for bone marrow, a worldwide appeal was launched for a donor to save Ava’s life. Marie said there were “no words” to describe her feelings when a third donor emerged.
She said: “It took roughly about half an hour, so at 18.56 on November 25 that was what we class as Ava’s second birthday.”
Marie said Ava was so tired she was unaware of the procedure taking place.
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