Leo Sproson spent five weeks in hospital following the transplant earlier this year but he came home in time for his 17th birthday last week – having helped transform the lives of five other people
They are 5,000 miles apart, but two teenagers whose lives were saved with the help of the Mirror are on the road to a full recovery.
We first reported on the worldwide search for a stem cell match for Leo Sproson, 17, who has leukaemia, in October last year. The brave schoolboy needed the transplant for a second chance at life.
Not only did he find his donor after our appeal, but five additional matches were found from the people who came forward to save him. So Leo has helped to transform the lives of five others while making his own recovery from transplant.
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Leo’s overjoyed mum Jenna, 42, said: “He is doing really well, is out of the hospital, and is back home. Five people responded to the appeal for Leo’s donor and have since helped others. So, at 17, Leo has saved five lives by raising awareness about the need for stem cell donors. Not many 17-year-olds can say that.”
Jenna, who runs a pet care firm, had to isolate with her son in the Birmingham QE Hospital and was there for her 42nd birthday in January. Leo spent five weeks in hospital following the transplant earlier this year.
But he came home in time for his 17th birthday last week. He celebrated with a cake, some computer games, and a new pair of trainers.
Meanwhile, 5,000 miles away in Zambia, Jasper Makungu, 13, who has Sickle Cell Disease, continues his recovery at home with his sister.
Mercy, 18, was his life-saving donor after the Mirror teamed up with blood cancer charity DKMS to send Jasper, Mercy and their mum Carol from their home in Kabwe, Zambia, to Bangalore.
Jasper had regular check ups following the transplant. After 10 months in India, he was ‘full of energy’ when he went home in December, 2024. More than a year later, he continues to study at home but is recovering well.
His dad Jackson, 48, told us: “He will be indoors for a while and cannot go to school yet. We would like a computer for him to use at home. But we are so grateful that he is better.” He thanked the doctors and nurses in India, DKMS and the Mirror for saving his son’s life.
Mercy, who wants to be a nurse, had bone marrow removed from her hip and given to Jasper. Rakesh Dhanya, CEO of the Sankalp India Foundation, where he was treated, monitored his progress with regular blood checks.
DKMS spokesperson Bronagh Hughes said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has joined the stem cell register in response to Leo and Jasper’s stories. They have both been able to have their transplants, giving them a vital second chance at life.
“However, there are around 2,000 patients in the UK, and even more across the world, who are still waiting to find a matching donor. By sharing their stories, Leo and Jasper have encouraged thousands of people to sign up as potential donors, giving hope to more patients like them.
“Joining the register only takes a few minutes, and involves some painless cheek swabs. If you would like to sign up, and potentially give another patient a second chance, you can order a free kit from the DKMS website.”
Jasper’s journey began in Kabwe, the most toxic town on earth, after the Mirror highlighted the plight of the people who lived there four years ago. In September 2022, the Mirror met with his dad Jackson at a lead mine close to their home. He was digging for the metal, which sells for 68p per bag, to feed his family.
He told us of the tragic loss of his firstborn son Jackson jr to Sickle Cell Disease at just five years old, and the need to treat Jasper. We enlisted the help of DKMS. “Without a stem cell transplant, children like Jasper who have life-threatening blood disorders, will not survive their childhoods,” said their UK spokesperson Deborah Hyde. “In countries like Zambia, this treatment is not available. Patients have to travel abroad, which is often beyond their means. This gives children like Jasper a chance of a healthy future.” Worldwide, DKMS has more than 13m potential blood stem cell donors, and has given more than 130,000 second chances at life. Yet just three percent of the UK’s population are registered as potential donors. A tiny proportion of these are from minority ethnic communities.
Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition which affects about 17,000 people in the UK. Sticky and rigid, the sickle-shaped cells clog the blood vessels and damage organs. Some with the disease will die in childhood while others suffer several very painful episodes each year. The only long-term treatment involves a bone marrow transplant. DKMS UK said joining its register is easy if you are aged 17 to 55 and in reasonably good health, and could save a life.
To register or donate go to dkms.org.uk.
