christmas miracle

December 20, 2009 by scatty
Filed under National News

Sophie Hart’s story of love and courage a Christmas joy

BY CLAIRE VAN RYN

20 Dec, 2009 09:23 AM

A RED-FACED Sophie Hart puffs into a red tin whistle.

“Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,” she trills through the instrument that Santa gave her last week. Mum Lisa Hart looks on, laughing and clapping along, her dark eyes filled with pride. This year brings a happy Christmas to the Hart family, in contrast to the horror of the last. A year ago this week, the Harts were wracked with the news that Sophie had a life-threatening brain tumour.It needed immediate surgery costing $55,000 – money they didn’t have. In a last-ditch attempt to raise the funds for the operation that would be performed by renowned neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, Ms Hart and the Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust appealed to the public. They had four days left. At this point, there was a very real possibility that Sophie would be robbed of the breath to blow into a red tin whistle during the Christmas season. But the Northern Tasmanian community rallied in support and more than $130,000 was raised within three days. “What does a mother say to anyone who helped save her daughter’s life?” Ms Hart said. “Thank you seems to be such an insignificant word.” Following her down the hall of their Launceston home – the family moved from Evandale post-surgery for better access to medical support – her joy is palpable. Christmas holds so much more meaning this year. “I’m sure that Sophie’s story is to remind us all to believe in the power of love, determination, courage and hope,” she says with conviction. “Sophie is proof that miracles do happen. “She has defied the odds not only to survive the surgery without any lasting affects to her memory or intellect, but has also shown unbelievable progress during her recovery continuing to this day.” The five-year-old flits across the room, turning pirouettes to “Santa Baby” in her new princess dress. Stopping at our feet, she earnestly tells of how she met the “real” Santa in Myer last week, how she and her big brother Alister, 10, sat on his knee and how she gave him a “kiss and a huggle”. “Grandpa has Santa’s direct telephone line and he tells if I’ve been naughty or nice,” she says. If her report card still says “nice” come December 25, Sophie is hoping she unwraps Lego and a Barbie PlayStation. Sophie is attending kindergarten three days a week at the Launceston Preparatory School. She has a group of friends who love to play with puzzles and jigsaws, “play shop”, dance and listen to music together. The Christmas scene here is not dissimi- lar to the last; the tree is dressed, the gifts are stacked beneath, the carols are blaring from the sound system. The difference is that Sophie has the assurance of a future – one she is all too aware of. “I want to be a paediatrician and fix babies when they’re sick,” she said – the same dream she sprouted shortly after her surgery. And she wants to get married. Northern Tasmania’s little princess – as she was dubbed during The Examiner’s appeal – is growing up fast. Patch the plush toy monkey that ac- companied her into the Prince of Wales Private Hospital’s operating theatre in Sydney on December 27 last year is no longer an extension of her arm, although pink and purple are still her all-time favourite colours. On Tuesday, this princess was itching to unwrap her presents. Looking at mum out the corner of her eye, she told us she would be up with the birds at 5am on Christmas Morning. “Nooo,” Ms Hart groans. And Sophie flashes that cheeky smile.