When their two-year-old son was diagnosed with leukaemia, Nottingham parents Mandy and John Cusick would never have dreamed that little Roman’s life would be saved by another child’s umbilical cord.
Roman needed a bone marrow transplant to survive but there was no adult matching donor. Instead, doctors used lifesaving stem cells donated from the umbilical cord blood of an anonymous mum and her newborn baby.
Now, as we expand our cord collection centres, Mandy is determined to educate mothers-to-be about donating their umbilical cords.
Roman was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2008
Roman's story
Mandy’s world was turned upside down in September 2008 when, having suspected her first son Roman may be anaemic, he was diagnosed as having acute myeloid leukaemia. He has just turned two and it was the worst day of her life.
For the whole family it was a heart breaking time as Roman fought his way through months of hospital visits and chemotherapy.
There was hope when they were told that he was in remission.
There was even optimism for the future when soon after receiving this news Mandy became pregnant.
But there was always the nagging fear that the leukaemia would return.
Devastatingly it did, in 2010, just months after Roman’s brother Raife was born.
It was then that they were informed that Roman would require bone marrow (or stem cell) transplant if he was to survive and the race was on to find a matching donor.
Cord blood donation
Roman underwent gruelling chemotherapy
Despite a worldwide search for a donor, there was no one who was a matching bone marrow donor for Roman.
As a last resort, the doctors searched to see if they could find a matching cord blood unit.
Blood from umbilical cords contains stem cells which can be used for lifesaving stem cell transplants for patients suffering from leukaemia and serious blood disorders.
Cord blood is normally thrown away at birth but can be collected and cryogenically frozen until it is matched to someone in need of a transplant.
The day after the family had organised a clinic to encourage potential adult donors to join our register, they received the news they had been praying for.
"We have found a match"
When Mandy heard the doctor tell her “We have found a match”, they were the most magical words she had ever heard.
For her they meant the world. They meant that after two years of fear, worry and shattered hope she finally had belief that Roman could be well again.
Mandy said: “We had the donor recruitment event on the Wednesday and were told the following day they had found a cord blood match.
"There had not been an adult donor match in the whole world for Roman, but they had found a cord blood match from a German mum.
“I was over the moon when they told me the news.
"It was an incredible feeling to know there is a donor out there for Roman. It was just a huge weight off my shoulders.
“I had heard about leukaemia and what it was, but just never expected that it could affect one of my own children.
"The work that organisations like Anthony Nolan do is fabulous because they really do help save lives.”
Roman is now a healthy seven year old boy and is doing well at school.
He’s a very good older brother to 4-year-old Raife and Xander, who was born in November.
Roman with brothers Raife and Xander
Cord blood in Nottingham
Mandy was delighted to hear the news that we are expanding our cord collection programme and have recently opened two new cord blood collection centres in her hometown of Nottingham, thanks to funding from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund.
It means that pregnant women in the city could save a life, simply by donating something that is normally thrown away - with no hassle or risk to the mother or baby.
Mandy says, “A mum in Germany decided to donate her cord blood and, because of that small act, my son is alive today.
"It really is remarkable.
"I was so excited to hear that mums in Nottingham can now donate their cord and potentially help a family like someone helped us.
"I want to encourage all eligible mums to donate their cord.
"It doesn’t interfere with the birth and you could potentially save a life.”
Lizzie King, our Head of Cord Services, says, “Roman’s story demonstrates the lifesaving difference that cord blood donation can make.
"We are very excited to have opened our new cord blood collection centres but that is only half of the job.
"We need mothers-to-be to donate their umbilical cords and we also need people to raise vital funds to help us save the lives of more people in the future, just like someone saved Roman.”
Find out more
Find out more about our cord blood collection programme and sign up here.