Healthy outlook after teen's ordeal

Georgia Buckingham and her mum Jo are looking forward to life returning to normal.

Northland teenager Georgia Buckingham is home again after five months at Starship Hospital in Auckland. And now, officially in remission, life is looking up.

"People say it must be good to be back to normal but we're not there yet," her mother Jo said last week - but the future was certainly brighter than it was at the beginning of the year.

Georgia, of Takahue, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia on Christmas Eve last year, after three months of mysterious illness. The formerly fit, active 14-year-old began suffering symptoms including nausea, sore teeth, and finally numbness in the jaw, for which she was treated, unsuccessfully, with antibiotics.

"Finally we asked for blood tests," Jo said. That led to the diagnosis of leukaemia, and next day her daughter was admitted to Starship.

Georgia said she hadn't really believed the bad news; her father Glenn took it hardest. There was no history of cancer in the family, Jo said, but they were told that leukaemia wasn't hereditary.

"It's just one of those things that happens, without rhyme or reason."

So began almost five months at Starship. Georgia was only allowed home three times, for a total of 11 days, while she underwent treatment as chemotherapy damaged her immune system, making her vulnerable to infection.

She hadn't handled the first round of chemo too well, she said, the treatment inducing vomiting, fevers, rashes and other nasty reactions. The second and third rounds were easier, but the fourth and last was also tough.

Now she's in remission though, with a smile on her face and her youthful enthusiasm in good working order while Jo sets about restoring the 10kg her daughter lost during her treatment.

She will go to Whangarei monthly for the next few months, and if the news remains good will only need to be checked annually after that.

She said she regarded herself as lucky. One teenage patient she had got to know well had been undergoing treatment for two years, and was still there, while at one point she had been moved to make room for an infant who was about to begin chemotherapy.

Jo stayed with her daughter in Auckland, Glenn returning to Takahue before Georgia's younger brother Trent began Year 9 at Kaitaia College.

Meanwhile, Georgina arrived home with a permanent reminder of what she had been through - nearly 500 beads, awarded to patients every time they underwent a procedure, such as giving blood, biopsies and x-rays, with more for courage and the most desirable of all, the "Purple Heart" given to those who had entered remission.

She is looking forward to returning to Kaitaia College full time next term.