Oscar Saxelby-Lee: Family celebrates one year since boy's cancer care

A seven-year-old boy is living cancer-free one year after returning from months of treatment in Singapore.

Oscar Saxelby-Lee, from Worcester, underwent CAR-T therapy in Singapore with the help of £500,000 raised through crowdfunding.

A year on, his mother Olivia Saxelby said the family was doing "amazingly well" and "counting our blessings" after a difficult year.

Oscar is back at school but still needs treatment for other conditions.

"He's loving life - literally living for every moment," Ms Saxelby said.

"It's been a whirlwind - this time last year we were saying goodbye to Singapore, the country that saved his life.

"Ever since we've been back it's been full on.... he came back with a number of problems and difficulties. His rehabilitation was always expected to be long process but actually he's gone above and beyond, moving mountains."

Oscar needs 12-hour overnight infusions, four nights a week, and is due to undergo surgery to treat kidney stones but his mum said he is "really well in himself".

"It's been lovely to watch him grow," she said.

Oscar had been receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since 2018, initially at Birmingham Children's Hospital, before the family made the decision to go to Singapore for the CAR-T therapy, which was not available to him on the NHS.

The treatment is specifically developed for individual patients and involves reprogramming their immune system cells, which are then used to target their cancer.

Ms Saxelby said the world had felt "dark" at times and since returning to the UK and dealing with lockdown their lives have been "incredibly tough".

"We cope as much as we can," she said.

"A few months ago I was in a really bad place, but we're just being honest and kind to ourselves."

"I can feel myself getting there now."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]