Comedian Al Murray says his nephew Finley, 7, is ‘very ill but hanging in there’ amid his battle with a rare form of leukemia… after urging viewers to sign up to blood stem cell register
- Finley, seven, is battling suffering juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, an incredibly rare form of the blood cancer
- Only 12 British children are diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia each year
Al Murray has revealed his nephew Finley is ‘very ill but hanging in there’ amid his battle with a rare form of leukemia.
The comedian, 52, appeared on Monday’s Lorraine, where he gave an update on his seven-year-old son, who is battling suffering juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, an incredibly rare form of the blood cancer that only 12 British children are diagnosed with each year.
Speaking to host Lorraine, 60, Al explained: ‘He’s an incredibly brave little lad. He’s hanging on in there. I can’t tell you he’s well, he’s very ill but he’s hanging in there.’
Struggling: Al Murray has revealed his nephew Finley is ‘very ill but hanging in there’ amid his battle with a rare form of leukemia
He continued: ‘He’s 7 and he wants to be at home playing football with his mates.
There’s been a decline in donors and contributions. The thing about blood stem cell donations is it’s dead easy.
‘They send you a pack with swabs and you swab some cheek tissue and send it back to them.’
In November last year, Al urged Good Morning Britain viewers to sign up to blood stem cell register after doctors diagnosed his nephew Finley with a rare form of leukaemia.
Explaining that Finley was having to endure a week of chemotheraphy every three weeks and needs to find a donor by Christmas, Murray said: ‘It’s the only cure. We need people to register and we need to find a match. I know there’s someone out there.’
Plea: In November last year, Al urged Good Morning Britain viewers to sign up to blood stem cell register after doctors diagnosed his nephew Finley with a rare form of leukaemia
Murray said Finley was a ‘chirpy little lad’ and was undergoing treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
He told GMB: ‘I can’t imagine what his mum and dad are going through. I’m this close to it and I still find it kind of incomprehensible.
‘This isn’t just about Finley, either. Even if we don’t find a match for Finley we might find a match for someone, a dozen people, a hundred people.
‘This illness, he says I’ve got a bug in my blood that we need to squash, that’s how he sees it. He’s only six and I hope people can help us squash the bug in his blood.’
Finley’s family had found two donors who were a match, but they pulled out of the donation a few weeks ago for unknown reasons.
Murray said signing up to the register through the charity We Delete Blood Cancer (DKMS) would only take a few minutes and could save Finley’s life.
He added: ‘I’m eligible and look at me; I’m 51 and I’m a schlub, I’m the opposite of someone who runs marathons and I’m eligible.
‘This couldn’t be easier to do and the change you could make, you could give someone another chance and help beat blood cancer.’
To register as a blood stem cell donor, visit the DKMS website.
Tough: Explaining that Finley was having to endure a week of chemotheraphy every three weeks and needs to find a donor by Christmas , Murray said: ‘It’s the only cure. We need people to register and we need to find a match. I know there’s someone out there’