Dunedin youngster Darcie Willis, her hair growing back already, was collecting for the Child Cancer Foundation’s fundraising appeal in the city yesterday, with her father Stephen Willis.
In February last year, Darcie was being rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with Burkitts Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
What followed was six rounds of chemotherapy to treat aggressive tumours invading her body.
Darcie is now in remission and, with her family, is supporting the foundation as a national ambassador this year.
She and the foundation’s three other young ambassadors are heading a national campaign for its March Appeal.
Nationwide collections are continuing today.
"It’s been a pretty full-on year," her father, Stephen Willis, says.
He and his wife, Cheryl, and Darcie had earlier been on an "emotional roller-coaster".
"We count our blessings. We’re unbelievably fortunate."
Mr Willis, who is the University of Otago’s chief operating officer, said he and his family also remained well aware, in a bittersweet way, of "the flipside of joy", and of "other little kids" whose outcome had been less fortunate.
Darcie has written diary entries for the foundation’s national "Dear Diary" campaign, which aims to "give kids a chance to be honest about how they feel about having cancer", and her entries are appearing in billboards in several parts of the country and on posters nationwide.
