Danielle Natasha McIntyre

 

Danielle was born on the 29th June 1993. She was a normal healthy happy child until she became ill at the age of five. After being admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital in October 1999 she was faced with several severe problems. Danielle was diagnosed as having a large hole in her heart and a rare form of Myelodysplasia Syndrome, which meant that her bone marrow was not functioning properly.

 

Danielle underwent open-heart surgery in February 2000 to repair the hole in her heart before she could be treated for her bone marrow condition. Danielle then attended various hospitals for tests and blood transfusions until she was diagnosed as having a lump behind her eye in June 2000, which after undergoing a biopsy turned out to be Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Danielle didn’t respond very well to her treatment of chemotherapy and was kept in hospital for 10 months and was recommended for a bone marrow transplant, which she had in January 2001.

 

It was then through the Royal Marsden that Danielle was invited to go on a trip to Disneyland Paris® which was organised by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, after all that Danielle had been through it was like a dream come true. I remember how excited she was the night before the trip and how I could not get her to sleep. Danielle loved every minute of the trip, all of the people that Danielle met thoroughly spoilt her and she was so full of energy. The trip was like and adventure to Danielle and she forgot all about her illness and her treatment, she enjoyed herself on the trip to the full, staying up late and running wild.

 

On the Saturday in Disneyland Danielle did not know what to do first, she just wanted to do and go on everything, I think her favourite was Thunder River, she went on it 3 times in a row! Our Taxi driver, spoilt her so much and bought her a special princess outfit that she wore to the dinner that evening where Danielle met all of her favourite Disney characters. When we returned home, Disneyland and the trip was all that Danielle talked about for weeks, it was the happiest that I had ever seen her, and ever will again.

 

Danielle sadly passed away peacefully on Saturday 24th November at 11.15am. I will never forget how happy Danielle was at Disneyland® and that memory will stay with me forever, as it did with Danielle. After all that she had been through those few days of happiness lasted a lifetime and made up for all those years of sadness and pain that Danielle went through, it gave her the opportunity to forget her problems even if only for a short time. Thank you so much for bringing a smile to a very often sad little face.

 

Pauline McIntyre (Danielle’s mum)