Teen was losing her fight with rare cancer — until a mom’s 12-year-old 'vial of blood’ from her umbilical cord saved her life
Then-teenager Lyra Cassell faced a heartbreaking and unexpected journey after her cancer diagnosis, a GoFundMe revealed. After the chemotherapy didn’t show any positive signs, her only shot at survival was a transplant, as reported by Manchester Evening News on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Available at the time was a vial of blood from the placenta and umbilical cord of a baby, donated by a mom in a Spanish hospital 10 years ago. It became the very thing that saved her life. Years later, the young woman can’t believe the miracle the vial did.
It all started in 2021, when the teenager first noticed a lump in her groin area. She went to get it checked but received multiple diagnoses, including potential diabetes and a suspected hernia. When she noticed another lump on her neck and underwent tests, she received unexpected news. Cassell reportedly had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. “This is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and progresses rapidly,” the GoFundMe read. The NHS notes that it’s a rare condition, usually affecting children and young adults.
This type of cancer needs to be treated as quickly as possible. Though Cassell began treatment, it wasn’t working. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, her condition wasn’t getting better, and her only hope was a stem cell transplant. Cassell was transferred to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital since it was one of the few places providing the procedure and treatment. It was learned that cord blood, from the placenta and umbilical cord, would be the best option for the transplant.
According to ECancer, these types of blood cells can be great for battling cancer. The white blood cells found in cord blood, known as gamma delta T-cells (GDT), are antiviral and antitumour. They are also supposedly first in the line of defense against cancerous properties. GDT cells are also found in adults’ blood, but not in as great quantities as found in the umbilical cord. Professor Goh Yeow Tee, Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology, SGH, noted, “Umbilical cord blood-derived GDT are akin to young warriors, potentially having longer-lasting effects and being more adaptable to take on additional functions.”
The professor added that, though currently underutilized due to lack of availability, the study shows that it’s “potentially feasible.” To Cassell's luck, at the time, there was an availability of such a sample. A mom had donated her child’s cord blood in a hospital in Spain in 2010, and it had been frozen ever since. Just 20ml was used when the treatment began in April 2022. After a month of rigorous procedures, challenges, and hope, Cassell was declared cancer-free. She soon began her road to recovery and living a normal life. Now in her 20s, the young woman couldn’t be more grateful for the mom who decided to make the donation over 15 years ago.
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