ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — Like most of us in southeast Louisiana, Ava Thomas, 5, loves parades.
“Cause they’re so fun,” said Ava.
This year, she hasn’t been able to wave at floats passing by. Instead, she’s been recovering from a double lung transplant.
“She’s very immunocompromised. Her body has no way of fighting off any infections,” said Ava’s mom Jennifer Thomas.
Mom says that means no birthday parties, no trampoline parks, and certainly no parading.
“The last time she went to Mardi Gras was Covington, I think it was Olympia, three years ago, so she was only two or three years old,” said Thomas.
When folks around their St. Tammany Parish community started hearing more about Ava, who also suffers from cystic fibrosis, the sheriff’s office got an idea.
“Give her a Mardi Gras that she deserves being as sick as she’s been and what’s she’s been through,” said Sheriff Randy Smith.
With the help of marching groups and carnival krewes on both sides of the lake, carnival magic was born. Because Ava couldn’t go to the parades, a parade was brought to her.
“We started with a couple of small marching groups and floats, and it went bigger and bigger and people, when asked, said we want to help. We want to be there,” said Smith.
Krewe D’Ava rolled right outside her home Monday in Goodbee.
“She was jumping up and down, clapping and it was awesome,” said Thomas.
“So much fun,” said Ava.
While fun for Ava, it was pure joy for her family.
“It’s an indescribable kind of a feeling that someone organized all this for my daughter,” said Thomas.
There were times when Thomas didn’t know if Ava would ever see a parade again.
“There were some times, some very critical times, we weren’t sure she’d make it through the night or make it through the day,” said Thomas.
Ava developed severe pneumonia in April of 2022. Her lungs weren’t working. Seven months later a pair of donor lungs became available. Ava, by way of a parade, was wheeled into surgery. It was a journey WWL Louisiana profiled when it happened.
Now, with a new pair of lungs and some of the most coveted throws of carnival, including a Muses Shoe, Ava is all smiles. She was even hailed as queen during the parade.
Ava’s mom says she’s doing well with her transplant and the family has been very open about Ava’s condition. They hope it brings more attention to organ donation and cystic fibrosis.
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