Headford pupils willing birthday girl Wiktoria to get well

By JACQUELINE HOGGE HEARTFELT birthday wishes were sent from Headford this week to a little girl who is battling illness in Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, seven months after she travelled to the UK for a life-saving liver transplant. Wiktoria Kubaczyk celebrated her ninth birthday last Friday with her parents Ana and Mario by her bedside at Evelinaâ€â„¢s Childrenâ€â„¢s Hospital in London, before being moved to Great Ormond Street over the weekend. The third-class pupil at Headford Girls National School needs a bone marrow transplant following a series of complications after the first of two liver transplants last July. The family, who are originally from Poland, has lived in Headford for the past seven years and the local community has rallied around them in recent months, raising €25,000 to support them during Wiktoriaâ€â„¢s illness. Wiktoriaâ€â„¢s school friends have been in regular contact with her, with several speaking to her by Skype. School principal Mary McNelis said Wiktoria is very much on the minds of all the children and staff and that everyone at the school was willing her to get well soon. â€Å“We made up memory books before Christmas, where her friends brought in pictures of Wiktoria and each child in the school wrote her a little message and we know that the family were very touched by that,â€Â she said. In isolation â€Å“Unfortunately we will have to hold onto the cards and presents we have for her birthday as she is in an isolation unit at the moment, but weâ€â„¢ll keep them safe for her. â€Å“She has been a pupil here since Junior Infants and is very much a part of our school. We all miss her terribly, she is such a character who loves Irish, in fact she greeted one of the childrenâ€â„¢s mothers who visited her in hospital last month with â€ËœDia dhuitâ€â„¢. â€Å“She also loves Irish dancing and would often compliment the teachers on whatever dress or shoes they were wearing, sheâ€â„¢s just a lovely little girl.â€Â A series of concerts, cake sales, sponsored runs and church gate collections are among the fundraising events that have been held in the Headford area in support of Wiktoria and her family. Local musician Sean Keane is performing a special concert in the Anglers Rest Hotel on Friday, March 22 and a cake sale will be held in St Fursaâ€â„¢s Hall on Mothersâ€â„¢ Day, Sunday, March 10 from 9.30 am to 1 pm. â€Å“The support of the community has been phenomenal and the fact people are still so keen to help shows how highly the family are regarded here,â€Â added Mary. â€Å“We just want Wiktoria to get better and come home, as the children miss her a lot and talk about her every day.â€Â A spokeswoman for the family confirmed that a suitable match has been found and Wiktoria is due to have her bone marrow transplant next month. â€Å“Mario and Ana are most thankful for the help and support they have received from the local community,â€Â she said. Tickets for the Sean Keane concert are available direct from the hotel or by calling Michael on 087-9691828.