Corrimal girl Narvana-Lee Holland was looking forward to starting high school this year, but a shock cancer diagnosis means she’s only spent around five days with her classmates.
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The rest of the year has been a whirlwind of testing and treatment; of hospitals and heartache. Through it all Narvana-Lee has kept her beautiful smile, thanks to the support of family, friends and the local community.
On Sunday, that support will be on display at a family fun day at Mount Kembla Bowling Club; the event put on to raise awareness of the childhood cancer and funds to help Narvana battle it.
‘’For the first two weeks after my diagnosis, I felt nothing – it took two weeks for it to really sink in,’’ she said.
‘’I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which meant I needed to start intense chemotherapy straight away. The first couple of months I was tired and nauseous; I didn’t want to eat or see my friends because I’d lost my hair.’’
Turns out those friends and schoolmates at Holy Spirit College were pretty understanding, and they’ve kept her spirits high.
‘’My friends are always there for me, constantly sending me messages of support and silly photos to cheer me up,’’ she said. ‘’It’s my friends and family that are letting me know that it's going to be okay.’’
It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for mum Katie-Lee Bell who’s urging parents not to stop searching for answers.
‘’Narvana had been experiencing stomach pains for over 12 months, which was put down to different things,’’ she said. ‘’It got so bad in January we took her to hospital and she had a blood test the next day. It showed her white blood cell count was high – a sign of leukaemia.
‘’The diagnosis was confirmed at Randwick children’s hospital and she’s been on treatment ever since – with intense chemotherapy needed for a few more months before two years of maintenance.
‘’I’ve been through a number of stages – shock, sadness, grief and anger – but I’ve come to acceptance. Narvana’s responding well to treatment and we are positive for the future.’’
As for Narvana, well she can’t wait to get back into the things she loves – soccer, school and socialising with friends. ‘’There are many of us kids fighting and I am just one of many,’’ she said.
Get tickets for Sunday’s event at the Facebook page, Fundraiser for Narvana #madeofsteel, or at the door.
On the day the Hogs Motorcycle Chapter will be riding in support of Narvana, starting at 10am from the Wollongong lighthouse and arriving at Mount Kembla Bowling Club around 11.
