A 16-year-old schoolboy fighting leukaemia has received what his family calls the 'perfect Christmas gift' – the discovery of a matching stem cell donor following a nationwide appeal launched by the Mirror.
A Lifesaving Search Concludes
Leo Sproson, from Bromsgrove, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia earlier this year. His family's hopes were pinned on finding a donor for a vital transplant, as none of his relatives were a suitable match. Last month, the Mirror joined forces with the blood cancer charity DKMS to launch a public appeal to find a donor for Leo and encourage more people to join the stem cell register.
The response was immediate and overwhelming. More than 700 people registered in person at a single event in Bromsgrove, with a further 1,000 signing up online in the weeks that followed. This surge in registrations created a much larger pool of potential donors, dramatically increasing the chances of finding a match for Leo and others in need.
A Mother's Overwhelming Relief
The breakthrough came when Leo's mother, Jenna Elwell, 41, received a life-changing phone call while out shopping. "I just broke down in tears," she said. "We are just so overwhelmed by everything. I really cannot believe that it has happened so quickly."
Jenna believes the donor likely came forward as a direct result of the Mirror's campaign. The family will be able to contact the anonymous donor six months after the transplant procedure takes place. For now, Leo, who loves animals and computer games, is set to enjoy a family Christmas before entering a period of isolation ahead of his transplant next year.
The Ongoing Need for Donors
While Leo's story has a hopeful turn, the charity DKMS emphasises that the search for donors remains critically urgent. A spokesperson, Bronagh Hughes, stated that while Leo's family had received "the news that they had been waiting for," around 2,000 blood cancer patients in the UK are still waiting for their match.
The statistics reveal the scale of the challenge. Only one in three patients find a matching donor within their family, and just 7% of the eligible UK population is on the stem cell donor register. This makes the search for an unrelated match, as DKMS describes it, "like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Leo's parents, Jenna and his father Warren, 46, have vowed to continue raising awareness. "We are so incredibly thankful for everyone who is on, or has registered with DKMS to join the stem cell register," Jenna added. "You are literally saving lives."
The campaign mirrors the success of the Mirror's previous organ donation campaign, which led to 'Max and Keira's Law' – the opt-out system now in place in England. The public is encouraged to support the cause by ordering a free swab kit from DKMS to join the register themselves.
