Ava’s dad tells ‘Journal’ ‘We are just waiting now’
20 June 2006
It was still a waiting game for the parents of little Ava Nixon last night as they prepare for their daughter’s potentially life-saving trip to Germany.
The family, from the Hazelbank area of the city, were overjoyed last week when the NHS confirmed it would fund Ava’s £10,000 bone marrow transplant.
Ava, suffers from a rare form of leukaemia, and her parents have been told there is just a 30 per cent chance that the transplant will be a success.
Speaking to the ‘Journal’ yesterday, Ava’s father Stephen said: “We’re just waiting now to see when we’re heading to Germany. Ava is in good form.”
Ava’s plight - first highlighted in the ‘Journal’ - has touched the hearts of people across the city and further afield. And it has received valued support from the city’s newly elected Mayor, Councillor Helen Quigley. Ava is in Belfast this week undergoing blood tests ahead of her trip to Germany.
Wishing Ava and her parents Stephen and Fiona all the best, the Mayor said: “It has been a very difficult and anxious time for the Nixon family as they try to cope with little Ava’s condition and prepare for the operation. I would like to send the best wishes of the people of Derry to little Ava and her family. We will be thinking of you and look forward to welcoming you home.”
The ‘Journal’ will keep readers up to date with progress on Ava’s story.
