Setback as Margot Martini suffers relapse
Margot Martini has suffered a setback in her battle with leukaemia after new tests showed traces of the disease have returned.
The 18-month-old underwent a bone marrow transplant earlier this year having been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of leukaemia in October.
The operation had been deemed a success and doctors said they thought Margot was 99 per cent certain to be disease free following tests in March.
But last week she underwent a bone marrow aspirate test which revealed the presence of a low amount of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
Her father, Yaser, today said she was in the early stages of relapse but the family were doing all they could to stay positive.
Her battle with the disease captured the hearts of thousands and sparked a worldwide hunt to find a perfect stem cell match for the youngster whose mother is from Essington.
Yaser told the Express & Star the news had served as a 'bombshell' to the family.
"Margot's condition is not so good at present," he said. "She is in the early stages of relapse. Of the two forms of leukaemia she had one of them has returned. The medical team at Great Ormond Street are not certain that the other clone will also come back, but they now believe this to be reasonably likely."
He also said Margot has returned to Great Ormond Street Hospital for treatment after contracting a separate virus which may see her prescribed medication.
Margot is scheduled to have another bone marrow aspirate on June 24, following which a further assessment of her condition will be made.
Mr Martini added: "It is early days but we are still trying to understand what is happening and what it means for the future. It certainly makes things a lot more difficult."
The 18-month-old toddler underwent a bone marrow transplant having been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of leukaemia in October. Her parents, Yaser, and mother Vicki, originally from Essington, had launched a worldwide appeal to find a suitable bone marrow donor for their little girl. Mr Martini added: "We are just trying to stay positive for now, but we have gone from receiving the best possible results to a very different prognosis.We have not given up hope but it is an upward struggle.
"Our next course of action will be to look at alternative therapies."
This evening a fundraising event in aid of Team Margot & Delete Blood Cancer UK will be held at The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton. The Dance 4 Margot charity event starts at 7pm. Entry costs £7.
