THE BROMSGROVE community has rallied behind teenager Leo Spronson as hundreds turned out to help him in his fight against leukaemia and find a stem cell transplant.
After his devastating diagnosis, the family of Leo, aged 16, have been working with blood cancer charity DKMS to get more people on the stem cell donor register in a bid to improve his chances of finding a match.
The family organised a donor registration day at St Godwald’s church hall on Sunday, and 718 people signed up to the stem cell register on the day, with many more registering for online kits in response to Leo’s story.
The event also raised more than £4,000 for DKMS, which will help the charity with processing the swab kits.
Leo was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer, and his medical team have said he will need a stem cell transplant to treat his leukaemia.
For patients with blood cancer, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor could be their only opportunity for recovery.
Only one in three patients will find a match in their family, and, unfortunately for Leo, his odds of a family match are very low, as he has no siblings.
This means that he is relying on finding a match from a complete stranger who has signed up to the stem cell donor register, but just seven per cent of the eligible population in the UK are signed up.
At Sunday’s event, the local community were able to come down and complete some quick swabs with DKMS, to find out if they are a match for Leo, or another patient in urgent need of a stem cell transplant.
DKMS spokesperson, Bronagh Hughes, said: “We were delighted with the outcome from Sunday’s event.
“It is a testament to the hard work of Leo’s family and the spirit of the people of Bromsgrove that so many people came down to support us and join the stem cell register.
“At any one time there are around 2,000 people in the UK waiting for a match, so that they can have a potentially lifesaving transplant, and everyone who joined the register is offering hope to those patients, including Leo.
“If you want to sign up, it’s not too late; you can still join the register by ordering a swab kit from the DKMS website.”
Leo’s aunt Kate Best told the Standard: “It was a fantastic day, all of Leo’s family are so overwhelmed with how many people showed up to support Leo.
“Bromsgrove really came together as a community. For those that didn’t make it I am hoping to do another drive in the future.”
Leo’s dad Warren, added: “Leo is my whole world.
“He’s my mini me, my greatest joy, and he deserves a second chance at life.
“Watching him face this fight with such courage breaks my heart, but it also fills me with pride.
“He deserves so much more than this struggle; he deserves a future.
“If you could be the one to give him that chance you wouldn’t just be saving a life, you’d be giving my boy a chance to grow up, chase his dreams, and live the full life he deserves.
“Your support means more than words can ever say.”
Visit: dkms.org.uk to find out more, or order a swab kit.
