UK Girl, Lauryn Robinson, Is First Child To Suffer From Two Types Of Leukemia; Rare Condition Has Only Been Reported 200 Times In Medical History
Doctors in the UK believe seven-year-old Lauryn Robinson is the first child to be diagnosed with two types of leukemia: acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Lauryn's condition, aptly named "dual-hit leukemia," is considered so rare that it affects one in two billion people, the Daily Mail reported.
"Only a couple of hundred cases worldwide have been reported in medical journals of adults treated for dual-hit leukaemia-lymphoma," said Ken Campbell, clinical information officer at Leukemia and Lymphoma Research.
"To the best of our knowledge Lauryn is the first child ever to have been diagnosed with this incredibly rare type of blood cancer."
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is type of cancer, usually found in children, that affects bone marrow and the production of healthy white blood cells. For Lauryn, chemotherapy treatments were not only ineffective but also made Lauryn's condition worse as she began to experience seizures and a mini stroke.
Further testing revealed that she was also suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is another type of leukemia that affects people of all ages. It also causes difficulty with white blood cell production and the body's lymphatic system.
Lauryn is currently undergoing treatment at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital where doctors are struggling to locate her unique type of bone marrow. Throughout the horrifying ordeal, Lauryn's mother Emma and father Andrew have stayed surprisingly optimistic about their daughter's progress.
"Our focus is getting her cancer into remission with chemo so that she's ready to receive a bone marrow transplant when the time comes," said Emma.
"She still smiles her way through every day. Me and her dad are so proud of our brave girl. Her dad works in the week but rushes to be with us evenings and weekends. If the word spreads far and wide enough then hopefully, God willing, there will be a match for Lauryn and we can get back to normality."