Brave little Adeline Davidson is marking a new milestone in her recovery as she begins attending nursery for the first time.
Four-year-old Adeline from Alness received a long-awaited bone marrow transplant in April following a two-year search to secure a suitable donor to treat what doctors believed was Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), a rare form of blood cancer.
The youngster spent three months recovering at Glasgow’s Royal Children’s Hospital before returning home to the Highlands in July.
Now, young Adeline is embarking on a new chapter of her life as she begins attending nursery in her hometown.
‘I had the best day ever’
On Monday, beaming Adeline came running out of nursery school into the arms of her proud parents Steph, 27, and Jordan, 29, shouting “I had the best day ever.”
Taking to social media, her parents shared a series of snaps marking the milestone day they feared may never come true.
Accompanying the images, the family updated her Instagram followers on the success of day one at nursery.
They wrote: “A milestone we’ve all been waiting for.
“You made it Addie.
“She had the best day, the last photo is when I picked her up… I went to the door and she came running out shouting “I had the best day ever.”
“It’s surreal honestly, still so anxious about bugs and germs but it’s reality.
“Just have to hope she doesn’t spike after every time… everyone keep their fingers crossed for tonight.
“So proud of her.”
Speaking to the Press and Journal this week, Steph spoke of how their “superstar” daughter looks forward to making new friends and has already left her mark with teachers.
She said: “She enjoyed it so much, the teachers said she fit in perfectly. Not shy.
“She can’t wait to make friends.
“We are unbelievably proud. It’s taken so long and obviously it crosses your mind during treatment etc that she may not ever get to do these type of things but we’ve been so lucky and she’s been unbelievable.
“She really is a superstar.”
Adeline’s transplant journey
Earlier this year, Adeline was admitted to hospital in Glasgow to receive her long-anticipated bone marrow transplant.
The Alness family endured a rollercoaster ride of emotions for more than two years in their quest to find a viable donor for their daughter.
Over the course of 24 months, the Davidsons faced numerous setbacks, with countless delays, cancellations and failures to secure a viable donor.
After successfully securing an overseas donor, Adeline underwent the procedure.
The marrow was administered through transfusion, with the whole procedure taking just over 20 minutes to complete.
Despite a lengthy period of isolation; losing her hair; seeing a drop in oxygen levels and battling mucositis, Adeline remained resilient.
As the family prepared to return home health officials delivered a shocking blow, revealing the youngster and her two-year-old sibling share a rare genetic gene.
The siblings have been diagnosed with Swachman Diamond Syndrome and carry the rare genetic mutation “DNAJC21”.
Read more coverage of Adeline Davidson’s journey:
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Crowdfunder launched to support cancer-stricken four-year-old and her family
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Little Adeline set for life-changing stem cell transplant after two-year search for donor finally pays off
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Heartbreak for family of cancer-stricken four-year-old as stem cell donor falls ill at last minute
‘We are prepared for a lot of admissions’
As Adeline continues to recover, Mrs Davidson admits they are prepared for additional hospital admissions when illness arises at nursery.
However, the mother-of-three says the four-year-old is in the shape of her life following the transplant.
“She is now 95% cellularity, so close to looking 100% normal in her marrow,” Adeline’s mum added.
“Her counts are the highest they’ve ever been on their own, actually higher than Josie’s now, and she is remaining at 100% donor cells.
“We are very anxious about bugs but it’s reality. The nursery are going to let us know when they can if something’s going around but other than that we are prepared for a lot of admissions.”