A BRAVE young girl suffering from a rare form of cancer will celebrate an ‘extra special’ Christmas this year after battling back from swine flu.
Eight-year-old Lauren Brown had to go back to hospital with the infection one day after coming to the end of an arduous schedule of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery in her battle against cancer.
In addition to the infection, the youngster, from Abenbury, had also developed an infection in her central line – a tube which has been surgically inserted to help take her injected medication more easily.
But she has been able to overcome the setbacks and is now happily back in school with her pals at Marchwiel’s Ysgol Deiniol.
“Lauren came home on November 11 following the last session of treatment she was scheduled to have – a course of chemotherapy at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Hospital,” said mum Clare.
“But the following day we noticed she had a high temperature and so had to go to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. She was diagnosed with a bug on her line and also confirmed as having swine flu and stayed at the Maelor for a week.”
Her next appointment to go to hospital is for December 9 at Alder Hey to have a chest scan.
Twelve months ago Lauren was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer known as Ewings Sarcoma.
As well as chemotherapy, over the last 12 months other medical treatments have included long sessions of radiotherapy and surgery.
Clare said that the schedule has been relentless and travelling has been an added pressure, having to go to hospitals at the Wirral, Liverpool, Gobowen and Wrexham.
But she said that Lauren copes with everything courageously and the doctors and nurses at all the hospitals are marvellous.
Now the family are planning what Clare describes as an “extra special” Christmas as a celebration of the successes which have been achieved over the last year.
Clare said: “Lauren is really well in herself.
“We are going to mark Christmas in style, Lauren has certainly deserved it.
“She has asked for a pogo stick.
“We have bought little glass angels to go on the Christmas tree as a small way of thanking the nurses at the Maelor for all their help – they are our blue angels.”