Umbilical cord blood transplant: Baby saves leukaemia patient's life
Last updated 15/02/2010 12:19:13
Umbilical cord blood transplant
Leukaemia survivor Philip Meehan has told of his grateful thanks for a newborn baby, whose umbilical cord saved his life.
Stem cells taken from the blood in the baby's discarded cord were used to grow healthy bone marrow as part of a transplant process.
Philip's incredible story began during a trip to the Lake District, when he decided to go off to Ambleside for a week to recharge his batteries and get away from work. He spent the whole week out-of-breath and surprised at how tiring every walk seemed to be.
When he returned home to Sussex the following week, he went to his GP. After a simple blood test, he received a call saying he need to have a couple more tests. Further tests showed Philip had contracted Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia with an additional genetic complication known as Philadelphia Chromosome abnormality. His only chance of survival was to begin an 8-month programme of chemotherapy immediately.
Philip takes up the story: "One concern was that it had been decided that although the chemotherapy would eradicate the leukaemia, the possibility of a future relapse was almost a certainty and that a full bone-marrow transplant was my only chance of long-term survival. Unfortunately, I'm an only child, so there was no possibility of a bone-marrow donation from a sibling, and an unrelated 'living' donor could not be found for me. Things weren't looking too good.
"I was contacted by King's College Hospital in London about the possibility of a stem-cell transplant from blood taken from a discarded umbilical cord. Although more commonly performed with young children, this process is being used more and more to treat adults, with steadily-increasing degrees of success. Following a perfectly-normal birth, the discarded umbilical cord is drained of any residual blood and the stem cells present in that blood are collected and processed, ready to be injected into the patient. These leftover stem cells, which are the same ones which 'grew' the baby over the previous nine months then find their way into the patient's bones, look round, think ‘blimey, you've had some cowboys in 'ere...' and set to work doing what they do best - growing brand new bone marrow from scratch."
In September 2008 Philip was transferred to King's College Hospital and received his life-saving cord blood transplant. About a month later, his bone marrow - previously damaged by the leukaemia to the point where it was unable to create healthy blood - started to 'regenerate' and within six weeks he could go home.
"I have regained my strength and fitness, am off virtually all medication and other than occasional blood tests for monitoring purposes, require no medical procedures," Phil explains. "The word ‘cured' is still not one that'll pass my lips for several years, but my bone-marrow is now operating at 100%, with no signs of the leukaemia returning.
"I find it truly incredible that such a dramatic change in my life was brought about by using 'waste' blood from a normal, everyday, discarded umbilical cord. Along with King's College Hospital and the NHS, the Anthony Nolan Trust is doing exceptional work in this field, which offers hope and a future to a huge number of people, but they still need more people to come forward to be tested as potential life-saving donors."
Philip adds: "In my case, I am more-than-living proof that the word leukaemia is not the death-sentence it used to be. Not a day goes by without my wondering about the baby who loaned me some of their stem cells - due to the Trust's programme of anonymity I will never know who they are, but I will always be grateful and wish them the same hope for a long life and a healthy future as they gave me."
Read also >> The Anthony Nolan Trust bone marrow register - Adib Farid urges young people to join