Family of 10-month-old leukemia patient urges donors to join stem-cell register

Reuben, nicknamed Roo, was brought to a general practitioner with what appeared to be teething and tonsillitis, but subsequent hospital tests diagnosed him with acute myeloid leukemia at just ten months old. His mother, Mary, says the diagnosis shattered their world and forced their other children to stay with grandparents. Doctors have warned that without a stem-cell transplant the disease will likely return after chemotherapy, so the family is seeking a donor match urgently.

While his sisters Lyra, eight, and Cleo, four, are being tested for compatibility, Mary is calling on the public, especially those aged 16-30, to join the Anthony Nolan register. Anthony Nolan’s director of register development, Charlotte Cunliffe, stresses that blood cancers are the most common childhood cancers in the UK and that donor registrations can save lives. The appeal aims to increase donor numbers for Reuben and other children facing similar battles.