- Private Myles Brown, 27, has rare type of leukaemia which progresses fast
- It’s possibly spread to his brain and his only hope is a stem cell transplant
- Without it, he would have two years of chemo which could ravage his health
- Mr Brown, from Lincolnshire, wants to live for his 18-month-old daughter Lilian
- He has survived a tour in Afghanistan and served his country for nearly a decade
- Family have not proved a match and mother cannot help after own cancer battle
A young soldier who survived a tour of Afghanistan is now facing a new battle – to defeat a rare and aggressive blood cancer.
The family of Private Myles Brown, 27, is appealing for stem cell donors in a desperate bid to help provide him with a transplant which could save his life.
Mr Brown, who has an 18-month-old daughter called Lilian, in April was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) which progresses rapidly and requires immediate treatment.
Without the transplant he faces two years of further chemotherapy – risking long-term damage to his body – to try to keep the disease at bay.
Heartbreakingly, his mother Vikki Brown, 51, has been left feeling helpless as her treatment for breast cancer last year left her unable to donate. His brother Thomas, 30, sister Sophie, 28, and fiancée Vivienne have not proved a match.
Sophie said: ‘So many people have no clue about stem cell donation. Before Myles was ill we’d never known about it really.
Precious moments: Private Brown with his fiancée Vivienne and their daughter Lilian
‘He fell unwell in April and within a few days of telling doctors they’d began treating his cancer. He’s been in hospital ever since.
‘They want to start his stem cell next month but he needs a suitable donor. If he doesn’t find one they’ve said he could need chemo for two more years, and that could cause too much damage to his body for him to fully recover.’
Brave battle
Mr Brown, from Sleaford, Lincolnshire, has been told the disease may have already spread. He is currently having radiotherapy due to a suspected growth on his brain after recently contracting pneumonia.
Serving in the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, he first joined the Army in 2008 and is currently stationed in Germany with his fiancée and their daughter in Germany.
The father, of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, has served for almost a decade
Doting father: The 27-year-old urgently needs a suitable donor for a stem cell transplant
Staying strong: Mr Brown with his fiancée Vivienne (middle) and sister Sophie (right)
Sophie said she is proud of her brother’s strength both on and off the battlefield.
‘He loves being in the Army and he could end up being medically discharged,’ she said. ‘He’s trying to stay positive but it’s so hard for him.
‘He toured Afghanistan in 2011, and he lost a close friend out there.
‘He’s really done his part.’
Only chance
Only around 650 people are diagnosed with ALL each year in the UK. Adults and children can get it but it is most often diagnosed in younger people.
The outlook for adults is less promising than for children – around 40 per cent of people aged between 25 and 64 will live for five years or more after diagnosis.
Mr Brown’s family are urging people to come forward to become a blood stem cell donor
Mr Brown is unlikely to be cured by standard chemotherapy alone. Leukaemia can return if just one cancerous cell remains in the body.
If he finds a match, he would first have very high doses of chemotherapy and possibly whole body radiotherapy to wipe out the cancer cells.
A transplant means that doctors would be able to put new, healthy stem cells that have been damaged during the aggressive treatment into his bloodstream, where they would begin to grow and make healthy blood cells.
Those interested in donating stem cells to help Mr Brown and others in his position need to sign the register. All that is needed to be tested is a spit in a cup.
Then you would be contacted if your cells are a match to a blood cancer patient. Visit here for more information.