Sister 'perfect match' to help her brother to survive

A BROTHER has spoken about the remarkable experience of his 11-year-old sister donating lifesaving bone marrow to him, after he was diagnosed at 17 with an exceptionally rare form of leukaemia that strikes roughly one in every million people.

- James Besanvalle

Jody White, now 44, a digital designer based in Presteigne, Powys, received his diagnosis of acute undifferentiated leukaemia (AUL) in October 1999, following persistent feelings of being "under the weather", accompanied by colds, extensive rashes and ear infections so severe they caused temporary hearing loss.

AUL is a rare form of blood cancer, occurring in just 1.34 cases per million people annually, with relatively little known about survival rates and optimal treatment pathways, according to Leukaemia UK.

Without medical intervention, Jody's parents were warned he had just a fortnight to live.

He subsequently underwent both chemotherapy and radiotherapy before specialists advised that a bone marrow transplant represented his greatest hope of survival.

Upon testing Jody's siblings - Jemma, 14, Jessie, 11, and Josh, eight - it emerged that Jessie was a "perfect" match and she declared she was "so ready" to donate her lifesaving bone marrow.

Recounting the moment the pair learnt of the match, Jody told PA Real Life: "We were both at home when the phone rang and I answered it.

"It was the consultant, Dr Prem Mahendra, and she said, 'I've got some very good news for you - Jessie is a perfect match.

"It's crazy. Jessie was born with exactly what I needed to survive," he added.

Jessie, now 37, an owner of a creative agency and living in Mexico City, told PA Real Life: "It's not very often you get to be someone's antidote.

"I was praying for it to be me because, having seen him go through this and how he faced it with the highest grace... I was just like, 'Give me a part to play!"

Reflecting on their upbringing in Bridgnorth in Shropshire, Jessie recalled having the "most idyllic family ever" and that she and Jody were "always very close".

Everything changed in the summer of 1999 when Jody was 17 and was preparing to start his A-levels when he began experiencing "repeated infections".