Leah’s parents say she is doing well. Photo: Matthew MirabelliLeah’s parents say she is doing well. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

It has been a tough year for the parents of five-year-old cancer fighter Leah, who stole the nation’s heart last year, and the Xuereb family is now hoping that the new year will bring her freedom.

“This Christmas it felt as if we started living again. We had come back from the US with high hopes last Christmas but it was exactly a year ago today, on New Year’s Eve, that we received bad news that cancer traces had been detected in her body again.

“She is now doing well and our main hope for the New Year is total freedom for Leah,” her mother, Zhana, told Times of Malta from their home in Għajnsielem yesterday.

‘Our hope is total freedom for Leah’

In October 2012, Leah’s parents made a plea through this newspaper to fund her life-saving treatment for a rare form of cancer in a specialised US hospital.

Following the €245,000 treatment, funded by the government, Leah managed to fulfil the family’s wish to return to Malta just a few days before Christmas. But bad news was in store and Leah had to return to Mater Dei Hospital for chemotherapy in January.

Hope, faith, patience, love and gratitude have kept us going all the way

Throughout the year Leah even developed thrombosis.

However, the little girl soldiered on and, as the months rolled by, she regained some normality.

As she could not tolerate IV treatment any longer, about three weeks ago she was given different medication that has fewer side effects and she is responding well.

The best thing about the new treatment is that, since it is in pill form, which she must take five times a week, the family only needs to travel to Malta once a week for tests and follow-ups.

“For the past weeks, I have been enjoying every moment.

“It is such a relief to see an improvement in her behaviour, to finally see her genuine happiness,” Ms Xuereb added.

As Ms Xuereb recounted her story, Leah clutched her Angry Bird soft toy tightly in one hand, pulling out toy after toy until the sitting room floor was covered in pink.

When she is not on her pink motorised bike, her bicycle or scooter, she is playing with Tiger, the family cat pet, feeding her dolls, beading bracelets or playing on her computer tablet.

“Leah is finally doing everything a little girl does... at home.

“She plays with her new cousin, Nick, runs around, reads stories... or makes them up... writes numbers and her name.

“Her appetite has grown too. Her life is becoming more normal. We really enjoyed Christmas this year,” her mother added.

Ms Xuereb explained that while, three years ago, when she was still grasping the devastating news of her daughter’s diagnosis, all her thoughts were focused on Leah, now she has learnt to shift her prayers towards others going through a similar ordeal.

It has helped her deal with the situation and take it day by day; she looks forward to better days.

“Hope, faith, patience, love and gratitude have kept us going all the way.”

Her husband, Jonathan, added: “The ordeal has changed our life but it made us a stronger family.”

Leah turned five on December 9. At three, she had already spent half her life in hospitals in Malta and London.

She has since received tens of chemotherapy cycles.

“Through it all we have always found support in all forms, through everyone we came across.

“Puttinu Cares has been of huge help and is still offering support. Leah enjoyed herself so much last week when she met up with other little kids at the Christmas Puttinu party.

“I cannot put in words what it feels like to see her so happy,” Mr Xuereb said, his eyes brimming with tears.

Leah is greeted wherever she goes and never returns home empty-handed. When the Għajnsielem parish started collecting items for charity around Christmastime, the little girl gave up some of her presents.

Leah’s parents expressed gratitude for the support they received from Puttinu Cares, the Malta Community Chest Fund, the government, paediatric oncologist Victor Calvagna and his team and close family friend Jo Kesbey, who was the person that first approached Times of Malta with their plea.

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