See First History-Making Baby Cured of Blood Cancer Who Had Only Weeks to Live (Photos)

 

A miracle baby who doctors predicted that she had just weeks to live, has made history as the first ever toddler to be cured of leukaemia by British medics.

 

Layla Richards was diagnosed with aggressive blood cancer aged 14 weeks, but made rapid recovery after undergoing the first ever gene therapy which doctors hailed as a big miracle. 

 

 

After chemotherapy failed to improve her condition, her devastated parents begged doctors to try anything to save their sweet daughter. This forced a team of specialist doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital to try out a highly-experimental treatment in a bid to save the young toddler. 

 

 

The team made a breakthrough by injecting her a first-of-its-kind donor white blood cells that had been engineered in a lab to destroy her acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The result was a landmark victory as the girl has lived several months cancer-free and doing well at home.

 

 

Professor Paul Veys, who treated her, said: “As this was the first time that the treatment had been used, we did not know if or when it would work. Her leukaemia was so aggressive that such a response is almost a miracle. Before now, the therapy had only been tested on lab mice. But the prof added: “There is potential for this to be a cure.”

 

The Baby's mum, Lisa Foley, said she broke down in tears after learning the treatment had worked. “Hopefully Layla will stay well and lots more kids can be helped.”