Family of a cancer-stricken girl have sparked up a friendship with the ‘angel’ who saved her life

The family of a cancer-stricken school girl have sparked up a lifelong friendship with the ‘guardian angel’ who saved her life.  

Skylah Ballentine-Brain, now eight, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just two years old when her immune system became too weak to fight off colds, leaving her with recurrent pneumonia.

After undergoing intensive chemotherapy in South Africa – where the family lived at the time – the youngster was given the all-clear in February 2012, only for the aggressive cancer to return that October.

Doctors warned there was little more they could do and told Skylah’s parents to ‘let her die peacefully’. Refusing to give up, the family flew back to the UK where the youngster was told she was too ill for chemo. 

With a stem-cell donor being her only hope, the family waited anxiously for three months before mother-of-two Samantha Perry, now 44, was brought forward as a donor, with Skylah having the transplant in May 2013.

Now healthy, Skylah’s parents Zelease, now 40, and Matthew Ballentine-Brain, 44, claim Mrs Perry ‘mended their family’, with the youngster even calling the ‘guardian angel’ her ‘second mummy’.

The youngster is pictured in hospital in November 2012

Skylah Ballentine-Brain was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at just two years old. The youngster is pictured right in hospital in November 2012. After being told a stem-cell transplant was her only hope, the youngster met her donor Samantha Perry (left) last year

The families met up in a hotel in Manchester last September, two years after Skylah sent Ms Perry a Christmas card. Left to right are Ms Perry's husband John, son Aiden, 14, Ms Perry, Skylah Ballentine-Brain, Skylah's mother Zelease and her brother Teghan, 11

The families met up in a hotel in Manchester last September, two years after Skylah sent Ms Perry a Christmas card. Left to right are Ms Perry’s husband John, son Aiden, 14, Ms Perry, Skylah Ballentine-Brain, Skylah’s mother Zelease and her brother Teghan, 11

The family were put in touch after the charity Anthony Nolan passed on a Christmas card made by Skylah to Ms Perry, now 44, in 2015.   

Ms Perry became a donor after losing a loved one to leukaemia as a child but never thought she would meet the youngster whose life she saved.

Strict rules surrounding donation mean direct contact between recipients and donors is only allowed after two years when it will be clear whether or not the transplant was a success. 

The Christmas card sparked a series of emails, letters and pictures exchanged between Skylah’s family and Ms Perry, who lives in Wickersley, South Yorkshire, with her husband John, 49, and children Aiden, 14, and Sophie, 19. 

And after two years on back-and-forth, the family finally met at the Principal Hotel in Manchester on September 15 last year. 

Although normally shy around strangers after spending so much time in isolation on hospital wards, Skylah immediately took to Samantha, who gave her a silver necklace with an ‘S’ for their initials. 

Ms Perry was also initially apprehensive but described their meeting as ‘wonderful’. 

‘I was very curious during the years after my donation to know if it had worked so meeting Skylah for the first time was wonderful,’ she said. 

‘For all of us it felt like the final piece in the puzzle, the final part of this long and grueling journey that we both, by chance, became part of. I felt really honoured that they called me Skylah’s “guardian angel” and “second mummy”.

‘Skylah and I share the same blood and I feel a very close connection with her as I would towards my own family.’

The meeting was also everything Skylah had expected. She said: ‘I knew an angel had helped me to get better when I was ill and I knew she must be very kind. 

‘When I met her, I knew I was right because she is very beautiful and very kind too.’  

This year’s Christmas card from the youngster even read:  ‘Dear Sam and family, Merry Christmas, I love you lots!’ 

Although a happy time, the festive season is a period for Mrs Ballentine-Brain, who spent several Christmases in hospital with her sick daughter, to reflect on those awful years. 

‘We would be apart at Christmas, with Matthew looking after the boys and Skylah and I in hospital,’ she said. 

‘Now though, thanks to Sam, we can be happy again together and start to remember what it’s like being a family at Christmas time.’ 

Pictured left at their meeting, Skylah calls Ms Perry her ‘beautiful guardian angel’ and even refers to her as her ‘second mummy’. The two families met (right), with the Ballentine-Brain’s crediting Ms Perry’s selfless donation for saving Skylah’s life and ‘mending their family’

After the Ballentine-Brain's spent years apart while the mother (left) stayed in hospital with Skylah (centre), they can finally be 'happy again thanks to Sam' (right)

After the Ballentine-Brain’s spent years apart while the mother (left) stayed in hospital with Skylah (centre), they can finally be ‘happy again thanks to Sam’ (right)

Once diagnosed, Skylah started chemotherapy at the Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town, where the family moved to be nearer Mrs Ballentine-Brain's parents. Mrs Ballentine-Brain lived with her daughter on the ward, sleeping next to the youngster's cot (pictured)

Once diagnosed, Skylah started chemotherapy at the Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town, where the family moved to be nearer Mrs Ballentine-Brain’s parents. Mrs Ballentine-Brain lived with her daughter on the ward, sleeping next to the youngster’s cot (pictured)

Pictured on her sixth birthday, the now eight-year-old is healthy and attends school like any other youngster. She is pictured right at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in November 2012. The family flew home after deciding she would get the best possible treatment in the UK

Skylah’s problems began at just six months old in May 2011 when she developed a series of nasty colds. 

Her parents – who moved the family from London to Cape Town in 2005 to be nearer Mrs Ballentine-Brain’s parents – were not overly concerned until Skylah developed persistent pneumonia. 

Tests carried out in August that year revealed the youngster’s weak immune system was being caused by acute lymphoblastic leukaemia – a blood cancer that affects the white blood cells. 

Speaking of the diagnosis, Mr Ballentine-Brain said: ‘It was absolutely heartwrenching, an incredible pain that courses through your whole body. 

‘From then on everything changes. Things you thought mattered before like your job and your mortgage suddenly become irrelevant and your whole life shifts to focusing on one thing – getting your child cured.’ 

Not even one-year-old, Skylah, who has dual nationality, started chemotherapy at the Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town. Her mother lived with her on the ward, sleeping beside her in a cot each night. 

After being given the all-clear, Skylah’s parents’ worst fears were realised when doctors told them the highly-aggressive cancer had returned.  

‘That was appalling,’ Mrs Ballentine-Brain said. ‘It was worse than hearing she had leukaemia because it just felt like she’d been through so much already and this evil cancer was still doing all it could to take her away from us again. 

‘The doctors painted a bleak picture, and when asked their personal opinion of whether to restart chemo or stop fighting, they suggested we should go home with Skylah and let her die peacefully, without having to go through more treatment.’ 

But the couple vowed to do everything in their power to help their daughter and decided she would get the best possible treatment in the UK.

They therefore sold up and flew to Birmingham, where Mr Ballentine-Brain’s company has an office. 

Skylah is pictured with her mother and brothers at Birmingham Children's Hospital in March 2013. After being told she was too ill for chemo to have any effect, a stem-cell donor was found in January 2013, however, the youngster did not have the transplant until May that year

Skylah is pictured with her mother and brothers at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in March 2013. After being told she was too ill for chemo to have any effect, a stem-cell donor was found in January 2013, however, the youngster did not have the transplant until May that year

Skylah is pictured with her mother and brothers in hospital in January 2013 – the month they learned a donor had been found despite the youngster’s ‘rare tissue type’. Pictured right at the end of last year, Skylah is living at home with her family and excelling at school 

Skylah is pictured with her father Matthew Ballentine-Brain in June 2013 - a month after her transplant. He described being told a donor had been found as an 'unbelievable moment' 

Skylah is pictured with her father Matthew Ballentine-Brain in June 2013 – a month after her transplant. He described being told a donor had been found as an ‘unbelievable moment’ 

Once admitted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Skylah’s family were told she was so ill that chemotherapy was pointless. 

With a stem-cell transplant being their only hope, the family were given another blow when they learned Skylah has a rare tissue type, with only a handful of donors in the world being suitable.  

But in January 2013, Anthony Nolan told them a suitable donor had become available.

‘That was an unbelievable moment,’ Mr Ballentine-Brain said. ‘We knew the chances were small, but we didn’t lose hope and being told someone out there, who we didn’t know anything about, was going to help Skylah just opened a door and gave us a future.’  

Skylah was forced to stay in hospital for another year due to a series of infections but finally had the procedure in May 2013 at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

And by September the following year, she was well enough to start primary school.     

The family are pictured in Christmas 2010, before Skylah became unwell 

The family are pictured in Christmas 2010, before Skylah became unwell 

Pictured left in August 2011 after just being diagnosed, her parents became worried when her near-constant colds developed into persistent pneumonia. Pictured right on holiday in Spain aged four, doctors initially told her parents to ‘let her die in peace’ when treatment failed

For Mrs Ballentine-Brain, the ordeal has been an emotional rollercoaster. 

She said: ‘I just hope that our story can give hope to people who might be going through hell now and also be a call to action for anyone who thinks about donating stem cells as Matt and I now are. 

‘Just one person donating helped mend our broken family and make us the happiest parents in the world.’ 

Terence Lovell, director of engagement at Anthony Nolan, said: ‘We are happy Skylah is doing so well. None of this would have been possible without Sam, who gave Skylah and her family the greatest gift imaginable, the gift of life. 

‘We are aiming to raise more funds, more awareness and, recruit more young people to the Anthony Nolan register. 

‘Anyone wanting to support our work can visit our website and make a donation, which will help give someone like Skylah, a second chance of life in the future.’ 

Find out how to become a stem-cell donor here.  

Skylah is pictured arriving home - surrounded by family - after her transplant in July 2013

Skylah is pictured arriving home – surrounded by family – after her transplant in July 2013

Pictured last year, there is no sign the eight-year-old was once fighting for her life 

Pictured last year, there is no sign the eight-year-old was once fighting for her life 

Sklyah is pictured with her mother and father - who described themselves as the 'happiest parents in the world - along with her brothers a month after the transplant in June 2013

Sklyah is pictured with her mother and father – who described themselves as the ‘happiest parents in the world – along with her brothers a month after the transplant in June 2013

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