My teenage son was diagnosed with leukaemia after being told he had glandular fever
When Aston Bevington, 16, a talented young footballer and rugby player, from Bridgend, South Wales, woke up with swollen glands one morning last year his mum Sian Mansell assumed it was down to a viral infection.
Then when the swollen lymph nodes appeared in his armpits and groin, Sian took her son to the doctor where he was diagnosed with glandular fever. But the swelling and exhaustion continued, so he was referred for a scan and the family received bombshell news. Instead of glandular fever, in fact Aston had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia – a rare type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
The teenager was rushed to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff, Wales to start chemotherapy immediately.
"His doctor called and told me it was cancer and he needed to go to hospital urgently. My heart completely shattered," says his mum Sian, a managing director of a chain of medical cosmetic clinics. "He was blue-lighted into Noah's Ark Hospital in Cardiff and started chemotherapy straight away, but he also needed blood and platelets as part of his treatment too."
Sadly, Aston hasn’t responded to treatment as well as hoped and is now likely to need a stem cell transplant, also known as a bone marrow transplant.
"His body isn't reacting the way it should to chemotherapy treatment so we're expecting Aston will need a stem cell transplant,” explains Sian. “The transplant will help cure him by switching his cells, which are causing the cancer, with healthy cells from a donor."
Now Aston’s family is urgently appealing for young people to register as stem cell volunteers with the Welsh Blood Service. Despite there being over 40 million people on registries across the world who have signed up as willing donors to someone like Aston, three in 10 patients still aren't able to find a suitable match.
Aston has the backing of his whole family – including his mum, dad Jason Bevington, a managing director, and his stepfather Nathan Strong, a production manager. Jason said his son has also received huge support from the sporting community, hoping to encourage more young people to register as stem cell volunteers.
"The support of the sports communities has been absolutely incredible," says Jason, "From celebrity messages wishing him a happy birthday to his hometown rugby club, Porthcawl RFC, shaving their heads in solidarity during his chemo treatment".
Sian agrees. "It has been made abundantly clear to us and most definitely to Aston that he is not fighting this battle alone," she says. "He has a whole army behind him."
Aston’s ultimate dream is to become a professional athlete, but his ambitions are temporarily on hold as he undergoes treatment and searches for a donor match.
Having played academy football since the age of five, Aston has already had success at youth level, starting with Swansea City AFC and most recently playing with Pontardawe Town.
Aston’s step-father Nathan is himself an ex semi-professional rugby player. "Finding a donor would give Aston the chance to get back to doing what he loves, playing football, rugby and being with his family and friends," says Nathan.
"Many people with Aston's condition will go on to need a stem cell transplant, which offers the best chance of a long-term cure," explains Alan Prosser, Welsh Blood Service Director.
"You could be the one person in the world with a suitable match for Aston or someone just like him, and that’s why we need more people to sign up to our Registry. If you're 16 to 30 years old, or 16 to 45 years old if you're from a Black, Asian, mixed heritage or minority ethnic background, you may be able to join," he adds.
And the process isn’t as time-consuming as you might think. "Modern medicine has revolutionised how we collect stem cells," says Prosser. "If you were a match, almost all donations are now collected over several hours using a machine which takes your stem cells from your bloodstream and returns all the other cells, allowing for a quick recovery.
"Whether you're eligible to sign up or know someone who might be, please talk to young people about this life-changing Registry and help more patients in need like Aston," he urges.
There are two ways to join the Welsh Blood Service’s Registry, by requesting a swab kit online or when giving blood. Find out more at Welshblood.org.uk or Aston's Army.
Read more about cancer:
Five cervical cancer warning signs you should never ignore (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Woman with 'deadly but preventable' cancer shares four symptoms she initially ignored (Manchester Evening News, 3-min read)
Mum-of-two who beat cancer urges others to 'get checked' (Somerset Live, 3-min read)
