His Christmas present for his big sister has been months in the making. Toddler Max Matthews has given nine-year-old Megan the ultimate gift – a cure for the life-threatening disease she has suffered from since birth.
He became the first ‘saviour sibling’ to be created in the UK after doctors cultivated embryos that could provide stem cells to treat Megan’s condition.
Now, blood taken from 17-month-old Max’s umbilical cord and bone marrow has been successfully used in a transplant for Megan, who suffers from Fanconi anaemia and was not expected to live beyond seven years old.
Life saver: Nine-year-old Megan Matthews, who suffers with Fanconi anaemia, has been given hope by her younger brother Max who was born specifically to provide stem cells to help treat her condition
The £6,000 procedure that led to Max’s birth was paid for by the NHS as a last chance to help Megan.
The children’s mother Katie, 33, said: ‘It has been a tremendous rollercoaster of highs and lows but Megan is now making fantastic progress, better than we could have hoped for. For the first time we are looking forward to Christmas without worrying whether Megan will be well or not.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1340611/Saviour-sibling-brings-hope-family-makes-medical-history.html#ixzz18wg2GKqN
No comments:
Post a Comment