At just 3 months old, a baby named Francis is fighting acute myeloid leukemia. He’s receiving chemotherapy at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, but this treatment isn’t going to be enough. He’ll also need a stem cell transplant. His parents’ search for a match has led over a thousand people in Liverpool to register as stem cell donors.
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According to Anthony Nolan, a charity that helps people with blood cancer, Francis’s leukemia has already progressed significantly. Tests have shown that the baby’s bone marrow is “80% cancer cells.”
“Three-month-old Francis, from Liverpool, urgently needs your help,” wrote the nonprofit on Facebook. “His parents have received the heartbreaking news that their new baby has an aggressive form of blood cancer, and doctors have told them that a stem cell transplant is his only chance of a cure.”
Liverpool Football Club has joined the family’s “Fight for Francis” by spreading the message. Not only have they been sharing the patient’s story on social media, but BBC News tells us that the soccer team’s Friday game against Bournemouth became instrumental in reaching prospective stem cell donors. During the sporting event, a banner was brought out bearing photos of baby Francis.
“This is Francis. He needs your help,” the banner read. “You could save a life. Register today to become a donor.” It included the website url for Anthony Nolan.
Since the appeal was shown, the charity has noted a 500% boost in donor registrations. 2,248 new signups were counted, and 1,064 of those people lived in or near Liverpool.
Anna, Francis’s mom, has said that her little boy’s illness has been hard on her family, to say the least.
“Finding out that our baby has blood cancer has completely turned our world upside down,” she told the Anthony Nolan charity. “You never think something like this will happen to you, you feel so desperate. We’re devastated that Francis is having to face something so hard so young.”
Thankfully, the boy has a lot of people in his corner.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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