A father from the Midlands is preparing to donate his stem cells in a desperate race against time to save his teenage son from an aggressive form of leukaemia.
A Father's Urgent Mission
Warren Sproson, 46, from Bromsgrove, will step in as a donor for his 16-year-old son Leo after a crucial delay with an originally identified matching donor. A nationwide appeal by the Mirror just before Christmas successfully found a match for Leo, who has acute myeloid leukaemia. However, the anonymous donor now requires further testing, a process that could take weeks.
Medical teams have advised that Leo cannot afford to wait. "His leukaemia is quite aggressive and there's a very, very strong chance it will come back without some kind of donor stepping in," explained Warren, who works as a driver. The family was initially "ecstatic" when the match was found and Leo was due to begin the transplant process in a Birmingham hospital last week, but a phone call last Friday delivered the news of the delay.
Community Support and a Family's Resilience
The search for a donor saw an incredible community response. In November, more than 700 people attended a local blood donor drive. Leo's story, shared by the Mirror, ultimately led to the matching donor being found in December. Warren expressed that the support from strangers "meant more than words can ever say."
Leo's mother, Jenna Elwell, 41, has been staying with him in hospital. She described her son's strength, saying, "He understands that they're trying to save his life... He is so laid back, he takes it in his stride." Despite the hardship of being separated from friends and home at 16, Leo has accepted the situation.
While both parents are a partial match, a male-to-male donation is medically preferred. Warren is now set to provide the stem cells, though it remains uncertain if he will be a suitable long-term donor or if the original donor will be used later. "We don't know whether they're going to use me and then progress with the donor later on," he said.
The Wider Fight Against Blood Cancer
Leo's health struggles began days after his 12th birthday when he went into liver failure. His leukaemia diagnosis came four years later. His aunt, Kate Best, 43, emphasised the family's desire to raise awareness to help others. "We know his leukaemia is low after chemo. We cannot wait for his treatment; the longer you wait, the more likely it is to creep back," she stated.
Blood cancers are the third most common cause of cancer death in the UK, claiming nearly 13,000 lives annually. At any one time, around 2,000 people in the country need a stem cell transplant. The family's ordeal highlights the critical importance of donor registers.
Warren, ready to do anything for his son, said of the donation process: "It's absolutely nothing compared to what he's gone through... Hopefully what I'm doing is going to help my boy and give him the best chance." He praised Leo's incredible strength since his diagnosis, adding, "The way he deals with everything, I'm really proud of him."
