Three year-old Eva Winston-Hart from Leicestershire in the UK is getting better by the day after undergoing stem cell surgery a few months ago in America to treat her leukaemia.
Last November three year-old Eva Winston-Hart from Market Harborough, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia.
Her need for a life-saving bone marrow transplant triggered off a search for a match, which finally, and somewhat surprisingly, resulted in a suitable donor being found in the United States.
A few months ago the extremely brave Eva underwent that all-important surgery. Amy Winston-Heart (mother) is very pleased with Eva’s recovery; she is starting to put on weight and it is clear that she feels much better in herself “She’s doing really, really well, improving everyday.”
The family is now just waiting on a final bone-marrow result which they should have in the next week to check if any leukaemia cells remain.
BBC.co.uk 20th September 2007
What is Leukaemia?
Leukaemia affects white blood cells, which are part of the body’s defence against infection. It can develop quickly (acute), or more slowly (chronic).
Cord blood stem cells have the ability to re-grow the bone marrow through a transplant using autologous stem cells (the term used when the patient’s own cells are used).
How does Eva’s story relate to UAE residents?
Eva’s treatment journey, which involved a donor match found in the United States, reflects a wider reality in modern transplant medicine: access to a suitable donor is often global rather than local.
In the UAE, advanced oncology and transplant services are available in specialist centres, but some patients may still be matched with international donors through global stem cell and bone marrow registries. In certain cases, this can also involve travel abroad for highly specialised procedures when needed, depending on clinical complexity and donor availability.
Learn more about stem cell usage?
Cells4Life stores cord blood samples exclusively for the families who choose private banking. Each sample is reserved for the family that banked it and is not shared with public donor registries, offering added peace of mind that it remains available for their own potential future use.
Need to know more before making a decision? You can talk to our team on 058 516 5494.
