Birthday Takes the Cake: Sweet Day Set for La Mesa Kidney Recipient, 3

A 3-year-old La Mesa boy who recently had a kidney transplant is set to get the birthday cake of a lifetime Saturday, courtesy of a nonprofit organization and a baker who appears on television.
  
The kidney patient, Avan Cook, had his operation in August at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and is recovering well, according to Charity Pykles-George, who bakes cakes for weddings and other special events—and also lives in La Mesa.
 
The self-described “Sugar Sorceress,” who has appeared on TLC's Ultimate Cake Off and Fabulous Cakes, learned about Avan through Icing Smiles, a Maryland-based nonprofit she describes as “Make a Wish” for cakes.

It’s a “less grand scale” but still makes recipients smile, she said.

She’s making a cake in the form of a pirate island, complete with a treasure chest containing jewels.
 
“It’s a chocolate case with vanilla bean custard, and it’s got salted caramel and toffee bits,” George said.

Usually it takes about 12 hours to make a fancy cake, she said.

“I’m putting a little extra fun in this one so it will be around 12-14 hours,” George said.

She said that before Avan was born in Guam, doctors could tell that his kidneys were enlarged. He began having health problems when he was 8 months old, forcing his parents to move here for treatment.

“He has just been hospitalized constantly, poor guy,” George said.

George said Avan’s travails struck close to home because her own daughter, now 12, has battled leukemia for five years and has to visit Rady Children’s Hospital three or four times monthly for treatment and monitoring.

Among the side effects of her medication is that she’s allergic to a variety of foods.

“It’s a good thing her mom's a baker,” George said.

Volunteer bakers with Icing Smiles have delivered more than 400 cakes this year, according to the organization’s website. Parents of children who have been fighting medical problems can fill out an application at icingsmiles.org.

George, who is scheduled to be featured on the Food Network next year, has her website at eatdzrtfirst.com.

—City News Service