A RALLYING call for stem cell donors to come forward and help save the life of a five-year-old Worcester boy battling an agressive form of leukaemia has attracted huge support across the city.
Oscar Saxelby-Lee needs a life-saving blood stem cell transplant in the next three months in his fight against T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia having already endured a month of gruelling chemotherapy at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
However, his parents Olivia Saxelby and Jamie Lee have been dealt a heart-breaking blow as Oscar will now need a stem cell transplant as the leukaemia he has is too aggressive to treat with just chemotherapy.
The five-year-old’s parents have launched a desperate appeal for help and hope as many people as possible will sign up to a blood stem cell donor register as part of their ‘Hand in Hand for Oscar’ campaign.
Staff at Pitmaston Primary School, where Oscar is in reception, are also throwing open their doors on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3 to find stem cell donors.
The Delete Blood Cancer UK (DKMS) event will be held at the Malvern Road site on both days and allow city residents to register and complete the simple, painless swab test in one visit.
Anyone aged between 17 and 55 can register to become a potential donor and potentially help save a life.
Writing on their Just Giving page, mum Olivia said everything change in the blink of an eye for the family when just three days after Christmas when they were told Oscar had T- cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and he was admitted following an abnormal blood test that showed platelets as low as 14. The normal range is between 150 and 400
“We broke completely, we shed tear after tear, we fell into each others arms damaged and inconsolable. We felt like we could not see light at the end of the tunnel, but when looking at Oscar’s cheeky smile, bravery and determination we managed to pull our strength together again,” she said.
“From that moment of fear and confusion, we as a family, became stronger than ever!
“Oscar reminded us how to fight again and just how courageous he is. Not once has he shown weakness, nor has he ceased to amaze us throughout the most difficult times and that to us is a true warrior.
“He’s a fun, loving, energetic five-year-old boy who deserves to live to the full alongside the other troopers fighting such horrific diseases.
“Not only does he need to enjoy a normal life a child should live, he now needs someone else to save him.”
A fund-raising page set up to raise money to support his parents can be found at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hand-in-handforoscarsaxelby-lee.
Visit www.dkms.org.uk/en/registernow to request a swabbing kit online.
