Today
Meet Austin Austin, 11, from Whitley Bay, north-east England, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at the age of two. By the age of eight, he had dealt with three relapses and exhausted all traditional treatment options including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and two bone marrow transplants. His dad Scott says, “When Austin relapsed for a fourth time, our world came crashing down. We thought we had exhausted every option. We found out there was a trial available for Austin at GOSH and had a lifechanging meeting with Professor Persis Amrolia. I remember that day so clearly. He was talking about potential hope, and suddenly we could see a future both for Austin and for medicine. The CARPALL trial would offer a completely different form of treatment.
“Austin was so fortunate to have this option available to him. He had the cells at GOSH in October 2016 and we found out on his birthday at the end of that month that the cells were doing exactly what we needed them to do. “Two and a half years later, Austin is doing so well. He is more physical then he has ever been. He is a big fan of his scooter. Every night he is at the scooter park with his friends. It is lovely to see him full of energy. When he was in isolation and spent weeks and months in one room he loved Lego, it was all we could do to keep him entertained in such a small space. What is amazing to see now, is the Lego still has the lid on it, and his scooter is nearly worn out.”
28
20_12_IG_Legacy_Cancer Breakthrough Guide_booklet_UPDATE_ST2.indd 28
09/02/2021 11:10
