Hope for Chloe as doctors find stem cell donor match
The parents of a nine-year-old girl in Fort William suffering from an extremely rare form of cancer said ‘words could not describe’ how they felt when they heard that three stem cell donors had matched with their young daughter.
Chloe Purvis, who was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare type of blood cancer, at the end of last year is expected to receive an urgent stem cell transplant which could prove vital to her cancer treatment.
The Bun Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar pupil was taken to see her GP at the end of November when her mum Sarah noticed that Chloe was getting particularly out of breath and was feeling more tired than usual. After tests at Belford Hospital showed an abnormally low blood count, Chloe underwent a number of tests in Aberdeen and by December it was confirmed that she had MDS.
Given the average age for someone to be diagnosed with MDS is 75 years old, Chloe’s diagnosis was extremely unusual.
Chloe’s three younger sisters, Islay, four, and two-yearold twins Charlotte and Elsie, were tested and found to be unsuitable donor matches, leaving Chloe’s father Lea and mum Sarah fearing the worst. However, after weeks of anxious waiting, the family were told last week that three potential donors are all a 100 per cent match.
‘It’s amazing,’ said Lea, a bus driver with Shiel Buses. ‘Words can’t describe how we felt when we got the news. A month ago we were told there were three potential matches out of 10. Those three people were then tested and it turns out they’re all a 100 per cent match with Chloe.’
Chloe is continuing to receive treatment in Glasgow, with Lea taking her to appointments two or three times a week while Sarah stays at home with the other children. Even if the stem cell transplant is successful, there is still a one-in-four risk Chloe could develop leukaemia as a result of the treatment.
‘Yes, it’s great news but there’s still a chance it can turn into leukemia,’ Lea continued. ‘The only good news is they at least know how to treat leukaemia.’
Lea praised the work of medical professionals, saying the family were in ‘good hands’. He also thanked the Fort William community and his employer Shiel Buses for their support after an online fundraising page has raise more than £1,000 to help the family.
‘It’s amazing the community that we’ve got,’ he added. ‘You just don’t get that in other places.’
Lea is also grateful for the support of cancer charity CLIC Sargent and, in particular, CLIC House in Glasgow, as well as Anthony Nolan, which was key to finding suitable donors through its global stem cell register.