9-year-old in Scotland diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia after back and leg pain

A 9-year-old girl in Scotland was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in December 2025 after complaining of back and leg pain, People reported.

Her parents, Jamie and Sam, took Ava Ferguson to the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh; doctors initially suspected post-viral reactive arthritis, but blood tests shortly before Christmas revealed the leukemia, Edinburgh Live reported. Family friend Laura Gillespie said the pain was “more than just normal growing pains” and described the treatment as “brutal” and “very intense.” According to U.K. charity Macmillan Cancer Support, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells and is more common among young children, particularly those under age 4.

Ava began chemotherapy soon after her diagnosis and has had surgery for bone marrow harvesting; she is awaiting a blood transfusion and other treatments expected to continue for at least two years, Gillespie said. Gillespie has set up a GoFundMe to help with medical costs and support, which has raised over $1,000 of a $3,355 goal, and she said she hopes to raise enough for Ava to visit the Capybara Cafe in Tokyo if the child gets a clean bill of health; Ava’s parents are from New Zealand and have no family in Edinburgh, per Edinburgh Live.

Key Topics

Health, Ava Ferguson, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Macmillan Cancer Support, Chemotherapy, Bone Marrow