Florence Bark, known as Florrie, who won the Pride of Britain Child of Courage Award in 2024, has spoken about her successful double lung transplant. The nine-year-old from Birmingham was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2022 but has been cancer-free since early 2023. However, complications from a bone marrow transplant led to the need for new lungs, and she was on the transplant list for 18 months.
Looking Forward to Dancing Again
Florrie told the Mirror: “I’m really looking forward to dancing again, playing with my cousins and spending more time with my friends. I can’t wait to do lots of the things that I wasn’t able to do before.”
Her parents, Stacy, 36, and Andrew, 38, run the Bemorefab charity, which supports children and families affected by cancer. Andrew said: “She’s doing so well, hitting all the milestones the doctors hope for. For the first time in years we’re actually able to think about the future. We used to hold our breath day to day, praying Florrie wouldn’t catch an infection that could kill her. Two years ago a common cold saw her in intensive care on life support. While we’re still isolating as she heals, this summer she’ll be able to hang out with her friends, run around, play catch. We can’t quite believe it. We were living on borrowed time, and she’s been given her life back.”
The Transplant Journey
When Great Ormond Street Hospital staff called in April to say lungs were available, Florrie’s lung function was down to 25% and she needed supplementary oxygen. Andrew recalled: “The call came at 3am. I shook Stacy awake. ‘It has to be the lungs,’ I said - and it was. GOSH picked us up in an ambulance at 6am, and at 3.30pm Florrie was gowned up and taken into theatre. It was a whirlwind.”
Just three days after the operation, she was sitting up taking deep breaths, and by day five she was on her feet. Andrew said: “Throughout Florrie’s medical journey, the ‘worst’ would always happen. But this time, doctors have said the lungs are the perfect fit and working incredibly well.”
Excited for the Future
Florrie said: “When we got the call, I was really excited. Mummy and Daddy were feeling very emotional, but I was just excited to go and get my new lungs. I even picked out my favourite beautiful tiara to wear, because I wanted to feel special. Now I’m excited to go on adventures, make memories with my family and enjoy being more active. Most of all, I’m excited to make the most of my new lungs and live life to the fullest.”
Andrew added: “She wasn’t strictly given the all clear, but was cancer free from early 2023, after her stem cell transplant in August 2022. But she’s never felt well enough to ring the bell. Her treatment was never over. Now, we’re going to have a huge celebration.”
He continued: “These things are now a genuine possibility. There will be more hospital appointments and complications, and transplanted lungs can deteriorate. But we’ve been filled with hope for the first time in a long time. We can think in terms of years ahead, rather than days. We’re excited to make plans and memories, and make up for lost time. To the donor’s family, we are incredibly grateful for the selfless decision that they made. We’ll spend the rest of our lives trying to do them proud and make the most of Florrie's lungs and the gift of life that she’s been given.”
