Fantastic news from Singapore after 6-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee beat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Oscar had no luck in the UK as the local doctors confirmed that they exhausted all conventional treatment and that there was only palliative care left for Oscar. That meant no hope unless…

The Singaporean miracle

However, the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore offered an experimental treatment to Oscar that arrived in Singapore in November. The 6-year-old commenced the treatment on Christmas Eve and he was discharged on Thursday the 9th of April. Oscar was declared MRD (minimal residue disease) negative (ie. no cancerous cells in his body) the 15th of January. Then Oscar fight several complications, surgeries and transplants for the following 3 months after the battle was won and he was discharged.

Her mum Olivia commented: “Oscar is defeating the odds. After being told end-of-life care was the only option left for Oscar about eight months ago, he has shown that miracles really do happen. He is the best he has been in a very long time – full of life, living life and enjoying life again.

It has been a huge learning curve, and no doubt will continue to be, but we are grateful. Grateful for this chance, grateful for the team saving Oscar’s life and also grateful for the experience. It still feels a little like a dream. We just can’t believe it. NUH has saved Oscar’s life!”

The successful crowdfunding

Oscar went to Singapore after the family managed to crowdfund £500,000 for the treatment, in which immune cells from a patient’s blood is drawn and then equipped with a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR-T).

The emotional hug with the grandmother

Oscar’s grandmother Oomar traveled from the UK to Singapore challenging the possibility of being infected by the Coronavirus to be with her grandson. The hug with Oscar was special.

Oscar going home!!!!