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A mother who has had four miscarriages desperately tries to raise enough money to save her only child with leukemia.
Rebecca and Will Handley of Norwood, South London, seek help to pay for the treatment of their two-year-old daughter Esme, who was diagnosed with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia last June .
After six months of stable recovery, they learned in April that leukemia had returned to Esme's bone marrow.
They are now trying to raise £ 500,000 for treatment that may not be available on the NHS, so Esme "can see her third birthday".
Rebecca and Will Handley are trying to fund the treatment of their two-year-old daughter Esme, who has acute myeloid leukemia.
After months of treatment, in April, leukemia returned to Esme's bone marrow.
Esme, who is now two years and seven months old, was diagnosed on the first day of her holidays in Greece in June 2018.
Her parents took her to the hospital the first night of their trip, worried about bruising that she suffered during a fall the day before their escape.
On his blog, describing Esme's battle, Mr. Handley wrote, "In a life that seems different to me, my wife Rebecca, Esme, my 22-month-old daughter and myself flew out for a resort in Thessaloniki, Greece. weeks of vacation expected.
"Throughout her treatment, Esme has been the quintessence of resilience, positivity and shyness, and deserves a lifetime trial of healing"
"The day before our flight, Esme had fallen and we became alarmed by the sheer magnitude of the bruises that ensued.
"Looking back, it looked like a pattern of" easy bruises "and on our first night, instead of relaxing around a bottle of wine, we started a Google search that ended with a sweat cold.
"On our second day in Greece, we booked a Skype call with a doctor on demand. We found ourselves falling into a series of traps from the resort doctor to blood tests at a regional hospital and the irreversible moment when we were taken to the office. pediatric consultant and heard the word "leukemia".
"We spent our second night in tears and in a Greek hospital with Esme infused next to us.
"What should have been our third day of vacation, we brought back emergency flights to London.
In my hand luggage, I wore a hypodermic needle, a shot of epinephrine and an oxygen mask kit in case Esme showed another reaction to the platelet transfusion that had been given to him. given that morning to be "fit to fly".
The toddler was hospitalized for five months at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton and received a stem cell transplant in September after three cycles of intense chemotherapy.
Esme, who is now two years and seven months old, was diagnosed on the first day of her holidays in Greece in June 2018 (photo)
Specialists have informed the couple that Esme's best chance of survival is a second stem cell transplant as soon as possible.
WHAT IS ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA?
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that occurs in young white blood cells of the bone marrow.
The LMA affects about one in 200 men and one in 255 women in the UK at some point in their lives.
About 19,500 new cases occur each year in the United States.
It is most often diagnosed in the elderly.
Symptoms may include:
- Tired
- Fever
- Frequent infections
- Easy bruising or bleeding, including nosebleeds or heavy periods
- Weightloss
- Bone and joint pain
- breathlessness
- Inflated abdomen
- Pale skin
The exact cause of AML is not clear, however, the risks include:
- Smoking
- To be overweight
- Radiation exposure
- Previous chemotherapy
- Some blood disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome
- Some immune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis
AML is usually treated with chemotherapy. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be necessary.
Source: Cancer Research UK
His parents, writing on his fundraising page, said in April that they had heard the news we were dreading; leukemia returned to Esme's bone marrow.
Ms. Handley told the Sun, "Hearing leukemia back, it's like everyone's over.
"The first time it was quite difficult, but to get this diagnosis, after all that we have already lived and watch it rebuild, we are completely destroyed.
"If she goes there, I feel like I do not want to be here either.
The specialists informed the couple that Esme's best chance of survival is a second stem cell transplant as soon as possible.
His parents wrote: "In general, the NHS policy is not to offer a second transplant to patients who relapse within 12 months, but because of the aggressive nature of his disease, Esme may not have long. "
The couple said that he was "desperate to save Esme's life" because she was their only child.
They added, "Rebecca suffered four miscarriages (and three operations, one of which almost killed her) to bring Esme to the world.
"Throughout her treatment, Esme has been the quintessence of resilience, positivity and shyness, and deserves a test shot for lifelong treatment."
They set a target of £ 500,000 with unsent money donates to the cancer and leukemia group for children.
To donate to the Esme fund on GoFundMe, click here.
To read his story, click here
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