Liverpool Student's Life Saved by Revolutionary Cord Blood Treatment
A remarkable medical journey has seen a Liverpool student given a second chance at life thanks to an innovative transplant using blood from a Spanish baby's placenta and umbilical cord. Lyra Cassell, now 20, was just 16 when her life took an unexpected turn after a friend noticed a lump on her body.
The Shocking Diagnosis
What began as a suspected hernia quickly escalated into something far more serious. Lyra recalled discovering another lump on her neck shortly after her initial GP visit. "I went back to my GP who took my bloods and advised that I might be eating too much sugar and was close to being diabetic," she explained. "It felt unlikely as I had always maintained a good diet and was very active."
The turning point came when a friend pointed out a second lump on her neck, prompting an appointment at Liverpool Royal Hospital. "The hospital's consultant said it was definitely not a hernia and took a biopsy the same day," Lyra remembered. "I was told it was looking like cancer."
Lyra received the devastating diagnosis of precursor T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia, one of the rarest forms of blood cancer. She immediately began an intensive chemotherapy regimen at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, attending treatment five days a week for six weeks.
The Search for a Solution
When chemotherapy failed to eliminate the cancer, medical professionals knew more drastic measures were needed. Lyra's Measurable Residual Disease results showed the treatment had only stopped the cancer from progressing, rather than destroying it completely.
After additional chemotherapy successfully reduced her cancer levels, doctors determined she was eligible for a stem cell transplant. This led to her transfer to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, one of the few facilities in the country capable of performing such specialised procedures.
Professor Robert Wynn, Consultant paediatric haematologist, recommended a cord blood transplant as the best course of action. "Most children with leukaemia are cured with drugs, known as chemotherapy, but with some children the drugs don't kill all the leukaemia cells," Professor Wynn explained.
He added: "We have noticed that the immune cells of a cord blood are particularly good at curing leukaemia. This means many of our children are alive after a cord blood transplant where another type of transplant might have failed."
The Life-Saving Procedure and Recovery
Before the transplant could take place, Lyra underwent total body irradiation twice daily for three days, which she described as 'intense'. The actual transplant occurred on April 7, 2022, using blood that had been collected from a placenta and umbilical cord in Spain twelve years earlier and preserved through freezing.
"The transplant itself was a tiny vial of blood, that was it!" Lyra marveled. "I still find it crazy how that small vial saved my life. It's strange to think that if a mother in a Spanish hospital didn't decide to donate that blood in 2010, I wouldn't have had a future."
The recovery process proved challenging. Lyra faced four difficult weeks following her transplant, requiring heavy medication and a feeding tube. Nerve damage from chemotherapy and irradiation, combined with extended periods of inactivity, left her barely able to walk.
"Recovery was a lonely place," she admitted. "Even when I was discharged I had to semi-isolate for six months. I saw some friends now and again but couldn't risk any more than that due to the chances of infection."
Rebuilding Life and Finding Purpose
Lyra's return to school for year 13 brought both challenges and moments of support. She credits her best friend Liv with providing crucial assistance, helping her navigate stairs and offering consistent support throughout the difficult transition.
"I found it hard sometimes to listen to what everyone had been up to and experiencing while I had been fighting for my life," Lyra confessed. "I wouldn't call it jealousy, but I did envy that sense of normality everyone else had that I never got to experience."
Her health journey has directly influenced her career aspirations. Lyra is now studying occupational therapy at university, inspired by the care she received at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.
"I liked that occupational therapists are the next step to home," she explained. "The patients are on the path to recovery and the therapist is the one to help them cross the finish line to some sort of normality."
Lyra has also become a passionate advocate for organ, blood and stem cell donation. Her diagnosis prompted many friends and family members to register as donors, with one best friend's uncle being called to donate his stem cells within months of signing up.
"It gives me peace of mind to know that my diagnosis has also helped other people," she said.
The remarkable treatment that saved Lyra's life highlights the importance of cord blood donation. Cord blood can be donated to the UK's public cord bank at several maternity units across England, offering hope to other patients facing similar health battles.
