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Family thankful for kindness of public as number of birthday cards for brave Rowley Regis girl passes five thousand

The aunt of a girl suffering from a rare form of cancer has offered thanks from her family after a campaign to gather birthday cards for her eighth birthday passed five thousand.

By James Vukmirovic
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Charmaine Grace said it had been a very overwhelming experience for the whole family of Amelia Kolpa since the campaign was launched a week ago to get birthday cards for the seven-year-old from Rowley Regis.

Ms Grace said the idea had come from a conversation with Amelia, who has been fighting Neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that affects children mostly under the age of 5 years old, since she was two years old, and who was talking about her upcoming eighth birthday and what she would like.

Amelia Kolpa has been fighting Neuroblastoma since she was two years old
Amelia Kolpa has been fighting Neuroblastoma since she was two years old

She said: "We were all talking and planning for her birthday and what she would like to do and she first mentioned Build A Bear, then she mentioned that she wanted a birthday party, but then she said it would be amazing if she got 5,000 cards.

"Then she said, what about 8,000, so we put together a poster and and thought we could make something of this, so it just went from there.

Thousands of cards have already been picked up for Amelia
Thousands of cards have already been picked up for Amelia

"She's been going through this since she was two-and-a-half and most birthdays for her are spent in the hospital, so she wanted to do something big for her birthday and, to us, it's just a card, but to her, it means the world to her."

Ms Grace said Amelia was number 60 on the list for a clinical trial, but was currently receiving palliative care to help her with treatment and pain relief.

Ms Grace also said they had all been blown away by the response, with more than 5,200 already in a week and she said that she could see the numbers passing 20,000, and offered thanks to everyone who had taken the time to send Amelia a card.

The campaign poster helps to give people details of where to send cards
The campaign poster helps to give people details of where to send cards

She said: "We can't thank you all enough as it's not only made Amelia's dream come true, but it's also helped to tell people about Neuroblastoma and actually understand what it is through Amelia's story.

"It's getting her story and the cancer the recognition and it has honestly been the most amazing thing, so we really can't say thank you enough times, it's amazing."

Anyone who wants to write a card for Amelia is asked to drop it off at one of the following locations:

  • Highfield Primary School, Beeches Road, Rowley Regis, B65 0DA

  • Leasowes High School, Kent Road, Halesowen, B62 8PJ

  • Artisan Espresso Bar Ltd, 168 Halesowen Street, Blackheath, Rowley Regis, B65 0ES