Georgia Cocking (7) from Lisburn was seen realising a dream come true and dancing with the cast of High School Musical on BBC One’s ‘Tonight’s the Night’.
When BBC One approached The Anthony Nolan Trust, the charity which takes back lives from leukaemia and asked if they knew anyone who liked to perform and had a dream wish, the charity suggested Georgia.
The High School Musical cast came to surprise Georgia at her school a fortnight ago. She was sitting with all her classmates, when the cast turned up and asked her if she would like to go to London to perform with them. She said yes, she’d be delighted.
As her mum, Debbie, says: “Georgia is a huge fan and couldn’t believe it. She kept saying “why me?” She stood up in front of all the class and was able to name all of the cast. She’s crazy about the show and loves to sing and dance. Being asked was truly a dream come true for her”.
When she went to London, she attended a rehearsal with the cast and also got to go and see the stage show. Debbie adds “You’ll have to tune in on Saturday 23rd May at 7.20pm to see how Georgia does!”.
In 2006, when she was just four and half years old, Georgia Cocking was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Her parents were told that her only chance of long-term survival was a bone marrow transplant. Georgia’s family was tested and didn’t match Georgia’s tissue type. Therefore, Georgia relied on The Anthony Nolan Trust to find the person to save her life. The charity found a donor to match her tissue type and in early 2007 Georgia received an anonymous bone marrow transplant.
Brave Georgia was in isolation for up to four weeks and stayed a further six weeks after she developed an infection.Her mum, Debbie, explains what a life changing difference her donor made: “We were absolutely devastated when Georgia was diagnosed – I was constantly terrified that the next time she went to sleep she wouldn’t wake up. The feeling when they said they had a match for a bone marrow transplant was out of this world – we knew it was Georgia’s best chance for survival. She’s going well now – I can’t put into words how brilliant it feels”.
Emma Coulthurst, spokesperson for The Anthony Nolan Trust, says: “Georgia has been so brave and gone through so much in her young life and really deserved this treat. Georgia was lucky. But without people joining the bone marrow register, Georgia might well not be here – more lifesaving donors are urgently needed to join the register, so that more lives like Georgia’s can be saved.”
John McManus (26) from Stranmillis and a doctor working at the Belfast City Hospital recently donated for the second time: “If people realised how easy it is to donate, I think they would sign up immediately. I potentially saved someone’s life by lying on a bed for a couple of hours, while a machine filtered the bone marrow cells from my blood; as easy as giving blood. It was pain free and all I had to do was lie there watching television. These cells may have saved someone’s life. I would encourage everyone between the ages of 18 to 40 to sign up to The Anthony Nolan bone marrow register. Many more people like Georgia can enjoy wonderful lives taken back from leukaemia with a little help from YOU”.
