9-Year-Old Girl Was Suffering with Pain in Her Back and Legs. Weeks Later She Was Diagnosed with a Rare Form of Cancer

Ava Ferguson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia shortly before Christmas

A 9-year-old girl from Scotland has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after suffering from pain in her back and legs.

In December 2025, Ava Ferguson was complaining of suffering from back and leg pain so her parents, Jamie and Sam, took her to the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh to be checked out, Edinburgh Live reported.

“It was more than just normal growing pains. Her mom was up every hour massaging her legs to try and give her some comfort and relief from the pain,” family friend Laura Gillespie told the outlet.

Doctors initially thought she may be suffering from post-viral reactive arthritis, but after carrying out some blood tests shortly before Christmas, they discovered that Ava had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, per Edinburgh Live.

Ava Ferguson.Credit : Family Handout

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A 9-year-old girl from the U.K. received a rare cancer diagnosis before Christmas
Ava Ferguson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
The diagnosis came shortly after Ava underwent blood tests after complaining of her pain in her back and legs

“It’s brutal, and it’s very intense,” Gillespie added.

According to U.K. charity Macmillan Cancer Support, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. It develops when leukemia in the body makes some abnormal blood cells and needs to be treated straightaway. It is more common among young people, particularly children aged under the age of 4.

Ava Ferguson.Family Handout

Ava started chemotherapy soon after her diagnosis.

“It was actually her birthday last week. The poor girl has lost most of her hair now, she’s not feeling well. She’s very tired and ill, and the chemo she’s going through is quite aggressive,” Gillespie told Edinburgh Live.

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The 9-year-old has already had surgery for bone marrow harvesting and is awaiting a blood transfusion, among other treatments expected over the next two years at least, according to Gillespie, per the outlet.

A GoFundMe has been set up to support Ava in her treatment and recovery.

“Her treatment journey has already started, but there’s a long road ahead for Ava and her family,” wrote Gillespie, who set up the fundraiser. “…This diagnosis impacts not only Ava’s health but the quality of time she can spend with her mum, dad and especially her little sister Zoe.”

Ava Ferguson seen in a photo shared on a GoFundMe page.GoFundMe

Ava’s parents are from New Zealand and have no family members in Edinburgh to support them during this difficult time, per Edinburgh Live.

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As well as helping Ava out with her medical costs, Gillespie is hoping to raise enough money for Ava to accomplish her “dream” of visiting the Capybara Cafe in Tokyo. The GoFundMe has raised over $1000 in donations so far of a $3,355 goal.

“She loves sushi, and if they were heading to New Zealand, they could sort of hop up. Sam has tried to manage Ava’s expectations with the trip as she needs a clean bill of health and everything needs to be fine,” said Gillespie. “…It’s an awful, difficult situation — and it’s really difficult for us to wrap our heads around really.