Girl’s bone cancer initially diagnosed as ‘growing pains’

By Jack Fifield

A brave schoolgirl is undergoing grueling chemotherapy after being diagnosed with bone cancer, which doctors initially thought was "growing pains."

Nine-year-old Ava Ferguson, from Edinburgh, came home from class one Friday in November, complaining of discomfort.

A doctor said the cause could be growing pains – but also said her symptoms could be the result of a viral infection, and she returned to school on Monday.

But after Ava was sent home on school the following Tuesday due to the pain, the concerned mom took her daughter to hospital, and doctors said she could have a form of ‘reactive arthritis’ following an earlier flu infection.

At Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, known as the ‘Sick Kids’ locally, Ava’s bloods were taken and she was sent home with painkillers.

After denied pleas for more pain relief, a hematologist who had looked at Ava’s bloods called Samantha and asked her to bring Ava in for further tests.

Less than four weeks after doctors initially thought she was experiencing growing pains, Ava was diagnosed with something every parent dreads: acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The nine-year-old was started on chemotherapy and was kept in hospital for three weeks, only managing to get home for Christmas Eve.

Due to the nature of the condition, Ava requires a lumbar puncture, or spinal tap, once a week to put the chemo into her spine.

She has been to school just once to see her friends briefly since she started her treatment, and faces two more years of treatment.

And since January 13, Ava has been back in the hospital due to a fungal infection.

Mom Samantha, 39, said: “The first time I took her they said it was just growing pains, but it was in one knee, not two.

“But I said I didn’t remember it being how it worked when I had them.

“You rely on professionals to look at the big picture.

"We were told we’d have to come back in two weeks to repeat the blood work, but we were getting really worried.

“We were giving her ibuprofen, we were giving her Calpol, we were having to massage her leg.

“We were doing heat packs every hour or two hours.

“One of us had to sleep next to her because she was in so much pain.

“She’d wake up crying.

“It got to the point where it was travelling down her leg, the pain relief wasn’t even touching it.”

More from this section

Man’s back pain turns out to be advanced pancreatic cancer

Woman shocked by cervical cancer diagnosis despite having no symptoms

Which Grammy nominees ranked highest based on performance data

After denied pleas for more pain relief, a haematologist who had looked at Ava’s bloods called Samantha and asked her to bring Ava in for further tests.

It was then she received the cancer diagnosis.

According to the NHS, the rare cancer affects the blood and bone marrow.

Symptoms of the condition include feeling weak, bleeding or bruising easily, looking more pale than usual, a high temperature, pain in bones and joints, shortness of breath, and a swollen tummy.

Samantha said: “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.

“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.”

Stay-at-home mom Samantha and web developer dad Jamie, 38, who have been in the UK for 12 years, take turns juggling taking care of Ava with their two-year-old Zoë – all while most of their family is located thousands of miles away in New Zealand and Australia.

A family friend has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe to support the family and give Japan-obsessed Ava something to look forward to – a trip to visit Tokyo’s Capybara Cafe.

Samantha said: “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.

“It will give her focus, but it’s going to be years before we can go.

“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 immunizations again as if she’s a baby.

“That’s going to take six months again before we even leave – we don’t want any bugs creeping through her immunity, it’s so compromised at the moment.

“We are looking at a three year journey, but it means three years for her to have the dream trip.”

The grateful mom added: “I’d like credit to go to the nurses and the doctors on the ward.

“We’ve had such great support, and the LoveOliver charity has been really kind, as all the charities have been.

“If it wasn’t for my friends’ support I have here, it would be even worse.

“It’s hard balancing the caring needs of one child and the caring needs of a toddler, who doesn’t comprehend what’s going on and just wants her sister and her parents home.

“We are very lucky in that sense, that we have the support.

“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.”