Toddler diagnosed with leukaemia now cancer-free thanks to transplant from umbilical cord

Sign up to our free Living Well e-mail for recommendation on dwelling a happier, more healthy and longer life

Live your life more healthy and happier with our free weekly Living Well publication

A toddler in Essex who was diagnosed with fast-spreading leukaemia is now cancer-free thanks to stem cells from an umbilical cord from the US, whereas a subsequent donation drive by his grateful mom has resulted in one in all her buddies being known as up as a match for another person in want.

Jo Hughes, 35, a former challenge supervisor, says she is without end grateful to the nameless donor who saved her son after he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in July 2022.

Oti, who will likely be three in March, is now eight months away from most cancers thanks to stem cells from an umbilical cord which lay on ice for 12 years earlier than it was found as a match.

Jo arrange a donation drive in September 2023 for family and friends to join to the DKMS world registry and a good friend has now been known as up as a match for another person in want of a stem cell transplant.

Jo first seen one thing was unsuitable with her son in July 2022 when he was 16 months previous and “didn’t want to use his arm at all”.

Jo, who lives in Saffron Walden with her husband Terry, an accountant, and their two sons, Remy, 4, and Oti, two, advised PA Real Life: “He was too young to tell me he was hurting. He could communicate with me but he couldn’t explain anything, so we went to hospital.”

There had been no indicators of bruising or any lumps and bumps however after having blood assessments, it was revealed that Oti had acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive most cancers of the myeloid cells.

Jo mentioned: “I didn’t expect it because that word hadn’t entered my head.

“It all happens very quickly so the shock is that you’re told he has leukaemia and then within 10 minutes he had a cannula in and plasma being put in.

“The next morning, he had surgery to get his Hickman line put in and then chemo started the day after.

“Any idiot can survive a crisis, it’s the day-to-day stuff that wears you down, you go into survival mode and you just get on with it.

“Oti was very lucky in that he responded to chemo very well and coped well. We were the lucky unlucky ones.”

Jo recollects not having time to course of the shock of her son’s analysis throughout six months of chemotherapy as Jo and Terry took turns dwelling at Addenbrooke’s Hospital the place Oti stayed as an inpatient.

He went into remission in December 2022 however the most cancers, which Jo described as “horribly aggressive”, returned in July 2023.

The solely possibility to kill the illness was a stem cell match.

Jo added: “Parents aren’t expected to be matches but siblings are more likely so Remy was tested but he was not a match. Then it was a case of joining the register and waiting for a match.”

Oti’s lifesaving stem cell donation ended up coming from an nameless umbilical cord donor within the US.

Jo mentioned: “Because the umbilical cord registry works slightly differently, we’ll never know who the donor was. It’s incredibly magic that there’s a woman out there who doesn’t know that she saved my son’s life.”

After the transplant, Jo mentioned they went “day-by-day” till, two weeks after the process, they came upon it had been a hit.

Oti spent 48 days in isolation after his transplant to enable his immune system to strengthen.

Afterwards, Jo felt compelled to assist others and, in September 2023, she labored with DKMS to organise a registration drive to encourage extra individuals to join to the registry.

According to the charity, there’s a one in 800 likelihood that somebody will likely be known as to donate, so Jo was shocked to uncover {that a} good friend who had attended her drive had been authorised as a match three months later.

Another good friend had signed up beforehand and was additionally known as up to donate stem cells.

Jo mentioned: “Now when we see each other, there’s just this crazy bond which is pure magic. Because the stem cell registry is different to the umbilical cord one, he will be able to be in touch with the recipient after two years.

“You have parents that are on their knees because they cannot save their children and these people do it for you. They’re real-life superheroes.”

While Oti will want to wait till he’s in remission for 2 years earlier than getting the official all-clear, Jo mentioned the riskiest time for relapse is within the first six months.

Oti has now been in remission for eight months and this week he had his Hickman line eliminated.

Jo mentioned: “He’s honestly thriving. I now could not tell the difference between him and his brother health-wise.

“I remember friends and family offering help and support while he was going through treatment, offering to bring toys and food to the hospital, but I didn’t really want anything apart from them to turn up to the donation drive, which they did.

“It’s genuinely incredible, just a chain of people helping people across the world anonymously.”

To join to the DKMS donor register, go to: www.dkms.org.uk/register-now.