A TEENAGE boy from Bromsgrove with leukaemia who thought his stem cell match had fallen through has received ‘the best news they could have asked for.’
The loved ones of Leo Sproson, aged 16, thought they had received the best Christmas present ever after a stem cell match was discovered in the UK.
However, this transplant, which was a 10/12 match, was delayed due to the donor needing further tests, and as Leo couldn’t wait, his family were left desperately trying to find a suitable enough match.
However, his family have now had a call from the hospital, and Leo’s 10/12 unrelated match has been cleared and is ready to go.
Leo will be admitted on Monday, February 9, and the following day, he will start his intense chemotherapy and conditioning course.
He is then set to have his stem cell transplant on February 18.
This news means Leo will not need radiotherapy.
A statement from the family said this latest development was the best news they could have asked for.
At one point, Leo’s mum, Jenna and dad, Warren, both put themselves forward to be his donor, but at most, they can only be a half-match.
Leo is currently in remission, meaning doctors can see significantly less of the leukaemia than they could when he was admitted; however, he is not currently cancer-free.
Since his diagnosis, Leo’s family 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 and held a registration day in November.
In total, 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.
The family didn’t stop there, and last weekend, his aunt, Kate Best, attended a DKMS drive at Birmingham New Street station.
For patients with blood cancer, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor could be their only opportunity for recovery.
Visit: dkms.org.uk to find out more, or order a swab kit.
