Life-saving operation resheculed for leukaemia sufferer

An optimistic father fighting leukaemia is placing his faith in the expertise of doctors as he prepares to undergo a potentially life-saving transplant.

Resilient Chris Maury, of Lowbrook Drive, Cox Green, has been given a 'fresh lease of life' after doctors confirmed a stem cell match had been found with newborn babies in France and America. 

Blood from a baby's umbilical cord was found to have a stem cell match with the 38-year-old but the operation was agonisingly postponed last week when one of the two bags carrying the frozen cells split en route. 

Chris's wife Sarah said it had a 'devastating blow' but despair turned to relief when doctors confirmed the transplant could still go ahead on Wednesday using cells from the second undamaged bag, and other frozen cord cells from America. 

"When I received the first call I wasn't able to get angry because I always thought something else would turn up," said Chris, who lives with his wife Sarah and two boys Jake, eight, and Luke, three.

"The way I look at it is I am just getting myself fit as possible and the doctors are going to give me something which might be a long-term cure. I have always been very positive about finding a solution.

"In this instance fate seems to have intervened and I feel that I have been given a fresh lease of life."

Chris will have chemotherapy and radiotherapy before the spliced cord blood is introduced to his system at John Radcliffe Hosptial in Oxford. 

Doctors have told him and Sarah there is a 41 per cent chance of a full recovery. 

Click here for an emotional video interview with Chris Maury earlier this year.