A schoolgirl was told the devastating news she had cancer after breaking her leg in the playground.
Ava Davidson, aged eight, was playing on a balance board with her friend at Barlows Primary School in Fazakerley when she fell off and broke her thigh bone. Ava's mum Catherine Ainsworth initially believed the accident had caused Ava to break her leg.
However, doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital raised concerns about the severity of the injury and referred her for further tests.
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Catherine told the ECHO: "The doctors said they thought to sustain that injury, to that bone, she'd have to be hit by a car so they wanted to undertake more tests. Then they spoke to me and said they had their suspicions that she had bone cancer."
Ava was transferred from Alder Hey to The Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle where she was told she had a rare type of bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma. Doctors said the cancer had likely weakened Ava's bone and contributed to the severity of her injury.
Catherine, from Fazakerley, said: "I'm a nurse by background anyway, so I've probably taken it more in my stride than maybe the average person would.
"With my nursing head on I just started on my journey of taking each stage [as it comes] and I had my little boxes. You're absolutely devastated that something like this has happened to her and why her?
"That's what she said to me - she wouldn't want anyone else to have it but why her?"
Ava underwent chemotherapy at Alder Hey but in a devastating turn of events, the break ruptured a tumour in Ava’s leg, meaning the only hope of a cure was for her leg to be amputated.
Despite her ordeal, Ava, now aged eleven, has learnt to adapt to life with a prosthetic leg and has continued to dance with her friends at Starmakers Theatre School in Aintree.
Ava is now fronting a national campaign called Find Your Dance Space, which was launched on Monday, October 16, by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD).
The campaign, which is supported by Strictly Come Dancing judges Shirley Ballas and Oti Mabuse, aims to show that dance is for everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, fitness level, or circumstance.
Catherine said: “Ava's a superstar in everything she does. Her dance teacher has been amazing, so together I think they are wonderful role models.
“For Ava, one of the difficult things for her to cope with is body disfigurement and living with the difficulties that come with a prosthetic limb – it’s had an impact on her mental health. Dancing has helped her enormously in that respect. She dances to be normal.
"There's many children with cancer that don't survive for whatever reason. We're just lucky that yes she's got this disability, but we've still got her. I hope it inspires other people to take up dancing.”
Ava said: “I’m really excited to be part of the campaign and hope people start dancing, too. When I’m dancing, it makes me happy because for that moment I just get to focus on dancing, and I really enjoy it.
"My dance teachers and friends have all encouraged me and adapted my lessons so I can take part. I’ve learned to trust my blade and myself.”
Ava’s dance teacher Catherine Parker said: “For Ava, the biggest hurdle was fear and confidence. From the beginning, we’ve just been honest with each other. If there’s something she can’t do, we find something that she can do.
“It’s wonderful that Ava is helping to promote dance because she’s proof that it can be for everyone.”
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