The birthday present that sparked a child's cancer diagnosis
A Queensland mother has revealed a bicycle her daughter received for her fifth birthday helped spark a devastating cancer diagnosis.
Natasha Macgregor, from the Sunshine Coast, first noticed Havana was in pain in November 2016 after the little girl started tossing and turning while trying to get to sleep.
The concerned mother believed her daughter was struggling with restless legs syndrome, but doctors told her it could be just growing pains.
Almost a year later on August 12, Havana started limping badly after riding her brand new purple bicycle she was given for her birthday, and Ms Macgregor thought she might have pulled a muscle from the bike.
But when Havana's hips started swaying and she continued to scrape her toes when walking, the concerned mother rushed her to Sunshine Coast University Hospital where an MRI revealed she had a tumour in her pelvic floor, right near her spine.
"It was like a smack in the face," Ms Macgregor told 7 News Online.
"I sat there and said ‘you’re wrong, my daughter does not have this'."
After the devastating news sunk in, the little girl was transferred to Brisbane's Lady Cilento Children's Hospital where surgeons performed two biopsies and diagnosed her with Ewing's Sarcoma on August 22.
The little girl will spend three months at the Brisbane hospital to undergo chemo, but her prognosis is positive and the family consider themselves "lucky."
Ms Macgregor said Havana's hair has already started falling out and said she has to reassure her she is "still beautiful."
As she recovers in hospital, Havana has even been gifted a brand new bike made to work the leg muscles failing her.
Her aunt Paulette Farrugia has started a GoFundMe page to raise money to help cover the family's back and forth travel costs from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane.
Doctors have said the mother caught the tumour early and Havana has an eight out of ten chance at making a full recovery.
"She’s going to kick butt," Ms McGregor said.
