Oscar Saxelby-Lee, of St.
John’s, Worcester, captured the heart of the nation after his parents issued a desperate plea for help to find potential stem cell donors to increase his chances of survival against his rare and aggressive blood cancer.
A record-breaking 10,000 potential donors lined up for hours in the rain, some of them from as far away as Wales, Shropshire, and Bath, in the hopes that one of them would be a match for the dying five-year-old.
Oscar, nicknamed Bear by his parents, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia on December 28 last year. His parents noticed unusual bruising on him, once even from a hit from a sponge arrow to his face, and brought him to the hospital.
Oscar’s grandmother, Sarah, had initially feared leukemia although Oscar’s GP assured her it was highly unlikely. But a subsequent blood test confirmed her worst fears.
While Oscar has been undergoing chemotherapy at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, doctors said that his chances of survival would increase dramatically with a stem cell transplant.
And the hopes of all the people who wanted to help were answered as Oscar’s mother Olivia confirmed on her son’s Facebook page that three people were confirmed to be a match.
In the Hand in Hand for Oscar Facebook page, Olivia wrote: “We have the best news to share! Oscar has a match!!!!
“Absolutely thrilled to announce Oscar has finally got a stem cell match, not just one but three and will be undergoing transplant very soon!!
“What an emotional roller coaster it’s literally been a journey of heartache and dread continuously, but…WOW!!!
“What a feeling of relief and positivity to help Oscar kick cancer’s butt!!
“It’s been so so traumatic but we are over the moon with being given a chance to tackle the next step in treatment.”
She then went on to thank all those who supported her family.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts to all of you out there who have registered, supported and continued to spread the word for our beautiful boy and those in need of wonderous bone marrow cells,” she wrote.
“We could never have done this without you all!!”
Oscar’s dad added: “I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am.
“I don’t think any news has ever made us so happy in our entire lives.
“We know this is the beginning of yet another tough journey but we will beat this together and get him home where he belongs, living the life he absolutely deserves.
“Bear we are all behind you my darling.”
Recommended Video – “Nurses at a Hospital Witnessed a Mom Playing Piano for her Terminally Ill Son, and it was Beautiful”