‘Amber ‘Ginge’s Story’

Amber ‘Ginge’s Story’

Hi everyone, I’m probably about to ask the hardest favour I have ever had to ask.

We need your help and we need it as soon as possible. You’ll have to bear with me here as this is the first time we have ever done anything like this.

Let me start by telling you about my 9 year old niece Amber, more commonly known as ‘Ginge’. She is one of a kind, she is tenacious and funny she is kind and caring and she has the purest heart of gold , she loves mine craft and Pokémon and playing toca poca with her cousins , her smile is as bright as her hair and her heart shines even brighter than that. She is LOUD and a huge tomboy. She is amazing.

She has also, not been herself lately and that is where our story starts. Recently, Amber has been suffering a number of symptoms that we were all quite convinced of it being low iron including doctors at her gp surgery , my sister Danielle was booked into Blackpool Victoria hospital to have ambers blood taken .

On Monday 9th December 2024 Amber went for her blood tests then headed home, At around 9pm that evening, Danielle received a call asking her to bring Amber to the hospital for further testing, not thinking much of it, they went.

At around 2AM, Danielle was taken into a room on her own and told that her 9 year old little girl in fact was not anaemic but had a form of leukaemia. Everything after that was pandemonium, Amber was taken to Manchester hospital and in the space of 2 days it has gone from “it could be viral don’t worry” to my niece going through 4 blood transfusions, a bone marrow extraction, a lumbar puncture, extreme antibiotic treatment and having a pic line fitted ready to start her chemo plan. This just doesn’t happen in real life does it?

My sister and her partner have been by Amber’s side every minute of every day but unfortunately that can’t remain the case and that is where all of you wonderful people come in. The hospital Amber is at has a housing unit ran by a charity and a request has been put in for that, however there are waiting lists and they are far from the top meaning that Amber’s mum or dad will have to leave and make the trip from Blackpool every single day, The doctors have said Amber will be in this same hospital for at least 6 weeks meaning neither parent will be returning to work for the 6weeks so will not have the income for travel costs or an Air B&B or the everyday running of their home. This also meaning their Christmas Day will be spent in the hospital.

As you will have also noticed, Our Amber has a nickname, that nickname is ‘Ginge’ due to the fact that her hair, may even be more fiery than her temper if that were possible. Ginge has been an absolute trooper through this, she stayed strong whilst they told her everything that was going to happen, that was until she found out she would lose her hair, to some its ‘just hair’ to ginge its part of who she is and her identity and she is absolutely heart broken. We would like to get her some wigs made and your donations towards that would be so helpful.

We are by no means daft, we are aware that times are really really hard for people financially right now and please know that even if you donated 50p it would mean the world to us and if we were to be so blessed as to have anything left over after treatment we would donate it all back to the hospital for the fantastic work they do, but if you have nothing monetary to spare with it being Christmas please just say a prayer for Amber, Danielle, Ryan and Ivy her little sister at this trying time.

Thank you so much for reading ❤