Mother fights for transplant fund

Eva's operation has been scheduled for May

The mother of a three-year-old Leicestershire leukaemia sufferer is calling for funding to help hospitals build up banks of umbilical cord blood.

Eva Winston-Hart from Market Harborough has a rare form of leukaemia and doctors say her only chance of survival is a bone-marrow transplant.

She is to receive stem cells from an umbilical cord donor in the US in May.

Amy Winston-Hart lobbied MPs in Westminster on Tuesday and said she was hopeful the funding would be provided.

'Way forward'

"The US have been doing it [collecting umbilical cord blood] for I think about 20 years and it's definitely something we need over here.

"I've heard that in almost every procedure where they've used the cord blood it's been successful and patients are doing well.

"It's definitely a way forward and Britain needs to play catch up on this," Mrs Winston-Hart said.

Eva's parents said the transplant, scheduled to take place on 23 May at Birmingham Children's Hospital, meant there was new hope for their daughter.

The toddler was taken ill three months ago. Doctors have said that chemotherapy cannot save her.

More than 600 people joined the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register after Eva's family appealed for a donor.