The mother of the six-year-old girl suffering from Leukaemia spoke to the Croydon Guardian about her daughter’s revolutionary treatment.
Imogin Appiah was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (All) in 2006.
In March this year she had a relapse. Despite a desperate international search for a bone marrow match, none was found.
Due to the shortage of donors within the black, mixed race and ethnic minority communities, Imogin had a one in 100,000 chance of finding a bone marrow match, compared to around one in five if she was white.
As her condition worsened, leukaemia charity ACLT organised a host of bone marrow registration in a bid to find a match for the brave little girl.
Her devoted mum Sheila spoke to the newspaper from her daughter's bedside.
She said: “They needed to do something immediately and then they found a cord blood match.”
Cord blood comes from an umbilical cord and contains a high amount of stem cells, it is a new treatment for leukaemia.
“I am so grateful to that anonymous donor. I am also proud of my daughter for encouraging people to join the bone marrow register through the ACLT.
“It’s been a long journey but we have reached the end, I’m amazed, I’m ecstatic.”
Imogin went into hospital on July 17 and went through four days of total body radiotherapy twice a day.
On July 19, she went into isolation and received a the transplant at 11.30am at the Royal Marsden Hospital.
She has been in isolation until Monday.
Mrs Appiah said: “She is back to her normal self and has been running around the corridors with me telling her off.”
When Imogin spoke to the Croydon Guardian over the phone she sounded like her usual cheerful self.
She said: “I’m feeling fine, I have been dancing to Michael Jackson in my room, Billie Jean is my favourite song.”
The little girl’s thrilled mum said she owed the Croydon community a huge debt of thanks for turning out in their hundreds to support Imogin over a series of bone marrow registration drives.
She said: “People still need to go out and sign onto the register, we need more bone marrow donors, you never know, you could save someone’s life.
“Beverley De-Gale and the ACLT were fantastic I cannot thank them enough for their support. Thanks to the Royal Marsden and St George’s Hospital, the Croydon Guardian and to everyone, especially all my family and friends for their love and support during this ordeal.”
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