This is the story of a little boy…

Dylan was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at 6 months old, on Boxing day in 2014. He then spent 16 months in the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital battling this terrifying illness. Finally, he was discharged home in remission and his family were overjoyed. They had a wonderful summer and it appeared that Dylan was overcoming his illness. By late summer, however, little Dylan became poorly again. The leukaemia had returned. Dylan’s only chance of survival was to have a Stem Cell Transplant.

After 3 months in Southampton Hospital, having intensive chemotherapy, Dylan returned to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. With the intervention of the Anthony Nolan Trust, he had a Stem Cell Transplant which took place on 28th November 2015. This date is forever etched in the minds of Dylan’s family. Since then, the family has found out that Dylan’s transplant donor was a wonderful lady called Kerry.

All was not plain sailing however. Dylan's transplant came with serious side effects and he was in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for 2 months. To the immense relief and joy of his family, he was finally discharged from the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital after 8 months. This was not, however, the end of the story. Dylan had to endure many months of rehabilitation both physically and socially. After 31 months, he finally started walking for the first time, a momentous milestone.

Dylan is now an active and happy 4-year-old little boy, whose progress continues to be remarkable. Without the life-saving treatment he received, with the help of the Anthony Nolan Trust, the story may have been very different.

Dylan’s family have pledged to raise £25,000 as ‘a thank you’ to the Anthony Nolan Trust and to help support the Trust’s amazing work. Funds are desperately needed to support research, training and resources to help change the stories of other families in the face of such adversity. The recital being given by classical vocal duo, Voix Joyeuses, is part of this fantastic fund-raising endeavour. 

If you would like to attend the recital at 7pm on Thursday 22nd November at St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham, then you can register your interest on Eventbrite or email voixjoyeuses@gmail.com.

Every day the Anthony Nolan Trust matches incredible individuals willing to donate their blood stem cells or bone marrow to people with blood cancer and blood disorders who desperately need life-saving transplants.  Funds donated to the Trust help support maintaining and adding to the donor register and the work of the Trust's world class research institute which focuses on improving the outcome of transplants.

Thank you.

Alison and Jill of Voix Joyeuses