Inverness family rally around girl battling rare cancer
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A YOUNG mum whose boyfriend died before their baby was born has spoken of her heartache after being told her little girl has a rare form of cancer.
Courtnay Johnston (23), from Inverness, discovered she was expecting a baby with partner Danny McBean just weeks before he was killed in a car accident aged just 16.
Now their fun-loving seven-year-old daughter, Amelia-Danni, has been diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a disease which only affects around 50 children a year in the UK.
Ms Johnston said: "I felt understandably devastated at first. I've stopped trying to make sense out of life. I don't believe everything happens for a reason.
"What's the reason for Amelia to lose her dad and then go through this?
"But I'm sure he's up there guiding her and I know we're going to beat this, it doesn't matter what it takes."
She is now trying to raise money for the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital (RACH) which diagnosed Amelia-Danni with LCH and she wants to take her daughter to the world-renowned Texas Children's Cancer Center which offers specialist treatment for histiocytosis not available on the NHS.
Ms Johnston, of Briargrove Drive in Inshes, was 14 when she fell pregnant with Amelia-Danni.
Just as she was coming to terms with being an underage mum her boyfriend, a promising stunt biker, died following a crash on the A862 Inverness to Beauly road, near Lentran.
Amelia-Danni started complaining of a sore back several months ago and the pain got so bad, she stopped going out to play and even found it hard to get out of bed some days.
An MRI scan in February found a tumour which had caused a slight fracture in her back.
The Inshes Primary School pupil then had further tests at RACH where doctors confirmed she had LCH. The disease happens when the body makes too many Langerhans cells, a type of white blood cell.
Amelia-Danni's vertebrae and femur bone are affected and she will have to undergo weekly chemotherapy at RACH for the next six months, possibly longer.
In the wake of Mr McBean's death Ms Johnston – who also has a one-year-old son – raised more than £3000 towards a new bike and skate park at Bught Park in his memory.
Now she is showing the same determination for her daughter and said she was feeling largely positive thanks to the support of her mother, Samantha Witby, and dad Gavin Johnston, who owns Inverness Taxis.
She said: "Since the diagnosis, each day has been a rollercoaster of emotions but I have gained so much knowledge on LCH and I find strength in this. I know we will get through this and come out the other side.
"I have a brilliant family who are there for us. I couldn't get through this without them."
To support Amelia-Danni visit www.youcaring.com/ameliadannijohnston-1143047
