VISIT: New Zealand-born Bailey Stephens-Makiha was visited by the Jamaican netball team competing in the Commonwealth Games during her routine blood testing at Gold Coast Hospital. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
VISIT: New Zealand-born Bailey Stephens-Makiha was visited by the Jamaican netball team competing in the Commonwealth Games during her routine blood testing at Gold Coast Hospital. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
A New Zealand-born teenager who is about to undergo her fifth - and hopefully final - round of chemotherapy has been surprised with a visit from Commonwealth Games athletes competing in her favourite sport.
Bailey Stephens-Makiha, who was born in Rotorua and now lives on the Gold Coast with herparents and siblings, was diagnosed with B-Cell Lymphoma in December. B-cell lymphomas are types of blood cancers affecting the B cells.
New Zealand-born Bailey Stephens-Makiha was visited by the Jamaican netball team competing in the Commonwealth Games during her routine blood testing at Gold Coast Hospital. Photo /Supplied
Since then, Bailey has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy, with what is hopefully her final round next week, and has been having blood tests taken twice a week.
During a routine blood testing at Gold Coast Hospital on Tuesday morning, 16-year-old Bailey was surprised with a visit by Jamaca's Commonwealth Games representatives, including athletes competing in her favourite sport of netball.
New Zealand-born Bailey Stephens-Makiha was visited by the Jamaican netball team competing in the Commonwealth Games during her routine blood testing at Gold Coast Hospital. Photo /Supplied
The team presented Bailey with Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games merchandise and four tickets to the opening ceremony tonight.
Bailey said she was excited by the visit and could not wait to get to the opening ceremony and see athletes from around the world in one place.
The tickets were donated by Ronald McDonald House and among the players was Romelda Aiken, whom Bailey describes as "a beast" on the court.
Prior to being diagnosed, Bailey was a rising athlete herself, even representing Australia internationally in indoor netball.
During the visit, Bailey said she danced with the players, mingled and took photographs with them. She said it was a lot of fun.
Bailey's mum, former Rotorua woman Cherisse Stephens said she was very thankful to the athletes for visiting Bailey.
"I am blown away that these athetes have gone out of their way to try to make my girl feel better and make her day brighter," Stephens said.
Next week, Bailey was scheduled to undergo her fifth round of chemotherapy. Six weeks later, she would find out whether she had been given the all clear - a date the whole family was putting in their calendar to celebrate.
Bailey said, once cleared, she would look at playing netball again next year, after allowing her body time to recover from her illness and gain strength again.
"We hope Bailey is given the all clear so she can get back to being the talented sports player she is," Stephens said.
