Leukaemia girl back at school thanks to life-saving brother's bone marrow

Fiona Evans

A GIRL aged 11 is heading back to school after her older brother donated bone marrow to save her life.

Rebecca Alton is in remission after 12-year-old Matthew insisted on helping when he found out he was the only one in the family who could save his little sister from leukaemia earlier this year.

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Rebecca has made a recovery and her mother Michelle said she will share an even closer bond with her brother.

Mrs Alton, 38, of Grassington, North Yorkshire, said: “Matthew said he knew he was going to be a match for Rebecca and insisted on helping.

“He knew it was going to be excellent for Rebecca so he was totally calm as he was wheeled to theatre for the operation.

“Ever since, Rebecca has teased him, saying she is now half-boy and comes out with all sorts of football statistics relating to his favourite team, Chelsea.

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“She’s done so well since the operation and now she’s finally well enough to go back to school. I think the whole process has made them closer. I don’t think any of us will forget what Matthew did.”

Rebecca was just five when she was first diagnosed with leukaemia in December 2004, and underwent chemotherapy at St James’s Hospital in Leeds.

After treatment, she was clear of the disease for five years, but last Christmas the family discovered the leukaemia had returned.

Rebecca had been selling her own homemade biscuits to raise money for the children’s cancer charity Candlelighters when she became ill just four months before she was due to be signed off.

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The youngster began a 10-day course of high-dose chemotherapy which wiped out her own bone marrow before she was ready for the life-saving transplant in April this year.

Matthew spent two nights in hospital and had to take iron supplements for six weeks, but the sporty youngster made a speedy recovery and was soon back home with his parents and older sister Charlotte, 14.

Rebecca returned home a few weeks later and finally stopped taking her cancer medication in August, although she will have to take penicillin for the rest of her life.

Her progress meant she is able to start at Skipton Girls’ High School – two months before doctors initially thought she would be ready to go back to the classroom.