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Leukaemia affected child recuperates

DUBAI - Friends and family of Leanne Fernandes, the 9-year-old school student afflicted with leukaemia and currently recuperating in London, are all praying for her quick recovery and have deluged her school with cards and letters full of good wishes.

Darryl Bloud, Principal of the Modern High School, said that Leanne was steadily moving on the road to recovery but it would take her at least a few months, before she can actually travel back to Dubai.

"I have been in constant touch with the Leanne's parents and they have mentioned that she is currently being given a heavy dose of antibiotics, which is making her system very weak. Hopefully, she should be better once her red blood cell (RBC) count goes up and her immune system becomes stronger. We are all very optimistic that her bone marrow transplant, which is scheduled for June, should go smoothly and without any further complications," said Mr. Bloud.

Regular prayer meetings are being held at the morning school assembly for the little girl and a grand homecoming awaits her once she recovers from her transplant. Said Mr. Bloud: "We are planning to have a day of celebration once she come comes back where school children will be allowed to wear colored clothes of their choice and celebrate Leanne's arrival. We might even invite the parents for this occasion and are all awaiting anxiously for her to get better."

Leanne was diagnosed with leukaemia and suffered a relapse recently prompting her school to raise funds for her treatment. Advertisements were placed in newspapers and TV channels and school children also participated in the fund raising activities. Within six days, the school had raised approximately Dh1.60 million for her treatment at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in the United Kingdom. Thousands of people send their donations.

Mr. Bloud said that he was overwhelmed by the generosity and love shown by people towards Leanne's treatment and writes to donors in the school website,: "Your love, compassion and generosity have renewed one's faith in humanity." Apart from the one million dirhams, an additional Dh 600,000 are being kept in a special fund created for Leanne, which would be released to her parents once they request for it. The school is accepting no further donations.