The father of a 16-year-old leukaemia patient is set to donate his stem cells after a potential donor was found but required further testing, delaying the transplant. Warren Sproson, 46, from Bromsgrove in the Midlands, will provide the stem cells for his son Leo, who has acute myeloid leukaemia.
Leo's mother, Jenna Elwell, 41, said her son understands the urgency of the treatment. 'He knows that they are trying to save his life,' she said. 'He is so laid back, he takes it in his stride.' The family had been hopeful after a donor was identified in December following a Mirror appeal, but the donor needed additional tests, causing a four-week delay that doctors deemed too risky.
Warren Sproson, a driver, said he would do whatever was necessary. 'It's absolutely nothing compared to what he's gone through,' he said. 'It's for your kids, so you get on with it and you do it.' Leo's aunt, Kate Best, 43, said the family wants to raise awareness to help other children with blood cancers.
Blood cancers are the third most common cause of cancer death in the UK, with nearly 13,000 deaths annually. Around 2,000 people are waiting for a stem cell transplant at any one time. The Mirror has campaigned for organ donation, leading to 'Max and Keira's Law', an opt-out system in England.
