Parents’ desperate search to find stem cell match to save their toddler with rare leukaemia
MORE than 600 kind strangers have come forward as potential stem cell donors for a brave toddler with a rare form of leukaemia. Phoebe Ashfield, one, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just seven-months-old and her only hope of survival now is to find a donor. But to her family’s anguish, neither […]
MORE than 600 kind strangers have come forward as potential stem cell donors for a brave toddler with a rare form of leukaemia.
Phoebe Ashfield, one, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just seven-months-old and her only hope of survival now is to find a donor.
But to her family’s anguish, neither mum Emma Wyke, 26, or dad Jordan Ashfield, 26 were a match.
So as a final plea to save Phoebe, her parents took to Facebook in a desperate search for stranger donors to come forward.
Last weekend, more than 600 potential donors were swabbed at two locations in the West Midlands to help save Phoebe.
The two donor rallies were held at Tipton Sports Academy and at a Tesco Extra in Burntwood.
Phoebe, of Dudley, West Mids., was diagnosed with the condition, where the cancer attacks the white blood cells, at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in January.
Emma and Jordan, an electrician, had their whole life turned “upside down” following the diagnosis.
Gruelling chemotherapy had not worked for their daughter and sadly the cancer has remained.
Mum-of-one Emma was told Phoebe’s best chance of survival was a stem cell transplant, but they, sadly, were not a match.
Emma, who gave up her telesales executive job to be a full-time carer, was “overwhelmed” by the amount of people who turned up to be tested.
I was full of emotion at the time. It was so overwhelming. The fact that people had taken time out of their day to come down and see if they were a match for Phoebe.
Emma Wyke
She said: “Phoebe was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was just seven-months-old. It started off as a cold and chest infection just Christmas last year.
“I had taken her to the doctors and they gave her some antibiotics but she still didn’t get over it a week later.
“She had been sick all over her dad and had a temperature of 39 degrees. I took her to Sandwell Hospital and they thought she was anaemic because of how pale she was.
“But when they looked at her bloods, they came back with the diagnosis of blood cancer.
“We didn’t know what type of cancer it was until they transferred us over to Birmingham Children’s Hospital – which is where she was diagnosed.
“High dose chemotherapy was started and she had blood transfusions and bone marrow aspirates.
“Four months after being diagnosed she relapsed, the chemotherapy wasn’t working in way it should’ve been.
“That is when were told by doctors, Phoebe needed a stem cell transplant as the chemotherapy wasn’t working.
As a parent seeing all these people come down and you can’t thank them enough, thank you doesn’t seem to enough.
Emma
“She could be youngest person to have a stem cell transplant as the youngest person known was a two-year-old in America.
“We had 600 people turn up to the drive on Saturday and we raised £650 for the charity.
“I was full of emotion at the time. It was so overwhelming. The fact that people had taken time out of their day to come down and see if they were a match for Phoebe.
“As a parent seeing all these people come down and you can’t thank them enough, thank you doesn’t seem to enough.”
“People can still register online with the Anthony Taylor Trust and DKMS, they don’t go down to a drive.
“A swabbing pack will be sent out in the post and then send it back. Then you can help children such as Phoebe, Oscar and others just like them.”
The couple are now waiting to discover if any of the good Samaritan donors are a match to enable the transplant to go ahead.
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