A TEENAGE girl who was told she would be out of hospital for her 17th birthday is still recovering from a bone marrow transplant.

Dawn Sale, of Weirdale Avenue, Whetstone, now wants to make Cira’s day as special as possible and is asking the community to help lift her spirits and send her cards.

The 17-year-old has a rare disorder which affects the immune system and has been at University College Hospital, in London, for nine weeks.

Her birthday is on Monday, February 8 Over Christmas, kindhearted strangers sent Cira more than 100 cards to lift her spirits and her mother is now hoping to do the same for her birthday.

Mrs Sale said: “Cira lost count of the Christmas cards she received. The walls are too bare now we have taken down.

“It was amazing at all the messages of support and I’d like to thank everyone for their kind words.

“One of her goals was to be home for her birthday but we know that probably won’t happen now.

“It will probably be another month.”

Tests showed Cira, who enjoys art and cross stitching, has responded well to treatment but progress is still “slow”.

She was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis two years ago after a bout of fainting fits and glandular fever.

She was initially told she had nerve damage because the condition affects babies and small children, and is rarely seen in teenagers.

Mrs Sale spends every night in a makeshift bed next to her daughter but the pair are looking forward to getting back to normality.

She added: “It is horrible to watch them make her ill to make her better. You don’t realise how fragile they are.

“It will be nice not to be woken up by machines and beeping. It will give Cira a break too.”

Post cards to: Dawn Sale can be contacted by email: dawnsale@googlemail.com Send cards to Cira Sale, University College London Hospital, T12 North, 235 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BU.