A MOTHER from Old Burghclere whose 12-year-old son sadly died from leukaemia is calling for further research into the blood cancer.
Debbie Jacobs, 56, lost her son Jacob after a four-year battle with cancer and has now joined the charity Leukaemia UK to call for further research into blood cancer to mark International Childhood Cancer Day, February 15.
Debbie says she wants to see more research not only into treatments that cure leukaemia but are less gruelling for the children undergoing them and their families.
READ MORE: Residents urged to have their say on where homes should be built as deadline looms
The 12-year-old had Down’s Syndrome - children and adolescents with the genetic condition are between 10 and 30 times more likely to develop leukaemia according to Cancer Research UK.
Debbie said: “The hole he left in everyone’s life was immense. I can honestly admit that not once during those four years did Jacob ever complain.
"His incredibly sunny, positive outlook on life kept us all going. Only once did he ask me ‘Am I going to die’ to which I replied, ‘We are all going to die darling one day.’
“It was Jacob’s outlook on life that carried all of us through the saddest time of our lives. His legacy has focused us on fundraising for Leukaemia UK in the hopes that better treatments can be found so other families don’t have to go through the loss that we have had to endure.”
Leukaemia is the most common type of childhood cancer, accounting for around a third of all cancers in under 15s.
Nine out of 10 children survive, but the treatments, which have remained largely unchanged since the 1960s, are harsh and take a huge physical and emotional toll on both the child and the whole family.
SEE ALSO: Basingstoke woman aims for more darts success after claiming Dutch Open crown
Leukaemia research has increased survival rates in children in the last 50 years, only 33 per cent of children would live for more than five years after diagnosis between 1971 to 1975 compared to 88 per cent who now survive.
The charity is funding research projects to find kinder, more effective treatments for ALL which is the most common childhood leukaemia, and other blood cancers that affect children. But the charity is calling for more donations so they can invest in further projects.
Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK, said: “Childhood leukaemia affects the whole family in the most terrible way. The gruelling, lengthy nature of the chemotherapy and other treatments can effectively destroy years of normal childhood and put a massive emotional strain on everyone around them.
“Research has brought about dramatic increases in survival rates over the past 50 years and given precious hope to parents and those youngsters who have been given a devastating leukaemia diagnosis. But chemotherapy is still the main treatment, as it has been since the 1960s."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here