Baby brother’s umbilical cord saved my life
Bone-cancer lad’s ‘miracle’ cure
A BRAVE schoolboy has beaten cancer – thanks to his baby brother’s umbilical cord. Joshua Nicholson’s parents were told he was likely to die after he developed bone cancer. The football-loving eight-yearold’s only hope of survival was a bone marrow transplant. Tests revealed his 18-monthold brother Luke was a perfect match, so he underwent a transplant. But medics said because of Luke’s young age, the bone marrow itself was not enough to save his brother. Luckily, their parents had frozen Luke’s umbilical cord after learning stem cells can be used to fight cancer. The cells in the cord were successfully used to tackle Josh’s disease – and he is now on the road to recovery. Mum Victoria said: “We thought he was going to die, but he made this amazing recovery. The boys are now closer than ever.” Josh was first diagnosed with leukaemia in August, 2014, aged just five. He recovered after gruelling chemotherapy treatment, but relapsed and became seriously ill in January. Victoria, from Solihull, West Mids, said: “Josh’s illness was horrific for him. I cannot begin to explain what it’s like to watch a child undergo chemotherapy. “And then for him to become ill again was just heartbreaking.” Victoria and husband Matthew, 49, were expecting Luke when Josh began treatment for a second time. They told Birmingham Children’s Hospital about the frozen umbilical cord and it was used to fight the cancer. Victoria, 37, said: “The doctors, who have been absolutely amazing, said it was the biggest turnaround for a child they have ever seen. Although we have had some hard times, we have been lucky in so many ways. “It’s as if there has been this series of miracles along the way.” Cord banking involves collecting blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta and storing it for future medical use.