Heartbreaking appeal for girl with cystic fibrosis spending seventh birthday in LGI
The family of a six-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis have launched an appeal to "put a smile back on her face", as she spends her seventh birthday in hospital.
Abbie Venner, from Hunslet, was in hospital over Christmas and the New Year with a bad case of the flu and after being discharged, she developed a serious lung infection which put her back in hospital.
Her mum Laura, and dad Dave, are devastated that she is poorly again, just months after getting the green light for a lifesaving cystic fibrosis treatment for Abbie and her three-year-old brother, Oliver.
Abbie is on IV Antibotics and should be discharged on Saturday, but will spend her birthday on an 'isolated' ward on Leeds General Infirmary.
Her mum, Laura, said: "She is really down and depressed, she's just fed up.
"She missed Christmas, the New Year, her dad's birthday and her older sister's 16th birthday.
"A six year old shouldn't be crying all the time, saying that she wants to home and back to school to see her friends."
The family have launched an appeal for cards and birthday messages to cheer Abbie up on her special day.
She was overjoyed to get a birthday card and message from her friends in her Year 2 class at school.
Laura added: "Any messages make her see that everybody loves her and is supporting her and fighting her corner.
"It's putting that smile back on her face."
Laura asks anyone who wants to send birthday messages of support to join her Facebook group - Abbie's Fight Against Cystic Fibrosis.