Stem cell appeal after Sheffield girl’s leukaemia relapse

The mother of a girl diagnosed with a rare blood cancer is urging people to join the stem cell register after her daughter’s relapse.

Heidi Howson, from Sheffield, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia shortly before her sixth birthday in 2022 and finished her treatment in November.

However, last week, the family was told the cancer had returned and that Heidi, from Sheffield, would need further treatment, which could include a bone marrow transplant.

Mum Lucy, 38, said: “We’ve always been really active and keen to help other people where we can and unfortunately now it’s our turn to ask for help.”

Heidi was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) after her mum noticed purple spots on her back.

According to the NHS, ALL is a rare type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow and is most common in children and young people.

After more than two years of treatment, Heidi rang the End of Treatment Bell at Sheffield Children’s Hospital in November.

However, just months later Mrs Howson, a midwife, noticed changes in her daughter that did not “sit well” with her.

“We found out on Friday that she’d relapsed sadly and we then went home to celebrate her ninth birthday, so it’s a bit of a déjà vu really,” she said.

“I’ve had a feeling for a couple of months now, so although it’s a shock, I saw it coming and that way it’s been a bit of a weight to carry.”

This week Heidi started Year Five, a milestone she did not want to miss out on.

“That’s all she wants to do – go to school and see her friends and socialise,” Mrs Howson said.

“She stepped foot through the doors and she spent the morning there and then we were admitted to hospital in the afternoon and it’s been pretty intense since then and it will be I think for the foreseeable.”

Heidi is now back at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, undergoing several tests and procedures, with the family facing “a long road ahead”.

In addition to chemotherapy and antibody replacement therapy, Heidi will most likely also need a bone marrow transplant.

“We’re told that the chemotherapy isn’t going to cure the leukaemia this time sadly so she will need the stem cells,” Mrs Howson said.

As neither her parents or half brother are a match, Heidi will be reliant on an unrelated donor.

The family is now urging people to consider umbilical cord donations or to sign up to blood cancer charity DKMS UK’s register or Anthony Nolan’s stem cell register.

Hundreds of people have already responded to the family’s appeal, with DKMS receiving 260 new donor requests on Saturday and Sunday alone.

“We’re really lucky with so many amazing friends around us, a huge support network and my parents and family are fantastic,” Mrs Howson said.

“We’re really, really grateful to everybody.”