Family receives ‘overwhelming’ support for child
People close and far willing to help toddler needing stem cell transplant
The father of a Windsor tot in need of a stem cell transplant says he’s hopeful they’ll find a donor after “overwhelming” support from London and beyond since their story went public this week.
“We’ve had people from the (United) States reaching out to us, people from Calgary and other places where we don’t really have friends or family,” said Lawrence Hill, whose 18-month-old daughter, Savannah, is battling a rare and aggressive type of leukemia.
“Seeing the amount of support we have received, you feel like those odds are increasing, so I feel hopeful.”
The Windsorite and his fiancee, Jessica Rivera, are organizing weekend stem cell drives in London and Windsor, hoping to find a matching donor for Savannah.
It is estimated only 50 per cent of people find a match in such cases.
Savannah is receiving aggressive chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital in London for non-down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). Its name reflects that it’s much more common in children with Down syndrome.
“To not have Down syndrome and have this type of leukemia is what baffles the medical world,” Hill said.
Though the chemotherapy can put the cancer into remission, it can recur.
Savannah has responded positively to the treatment so far, and has another five months to go, said Hill, who learned recently there’s a chance she may not need a stemcell transplant.
But if the cancer returns, they’ll need to move quickly, so finding a suitable transplant donor is imperative, he added.
“We are on our second-to-last option right now as far as treatment goes, and (the transplant) is our safety net,” he said. “But if we don’t have that match on board, then we are running out of time, because she doesn’t get to have five more months of chemo. This is an emergency at that point.”
Hill said the support they have received over the last few days has been overwhelming.
“It’s good to know we have that giant safety net in the community.”