A BRITISH schoolboy has given hope to thousands of sufferers after trialling a life-saving leukaemia drug and being cured 100 per cent.
James Morley, 11, became the first child in the country to test the ground-breaking drug and has miraculously recovered from the disease.
The schoolboy received his devastating diagnosis in April 2012 after suffering from a series of mystery illnesses.
When he started seeing red wherever he looked, he visited his optician who found that blood cells were bursting in his eyes.
He was rushed to Kings Mill Hospital in Mansfield and then moved to the Queen Medical Centre in Nottingham where he underwent tests.
Doctors diagnosed him with the rare Philadelphia positive type of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which has a survival rate of just 40-50 per cent.
Shortly after the tragic news, James’s family were approached by a consultant asking if he wanted to take part in a research trial for the drug Dasatinib.
The drug works by blocking a signal that tells leukaemia cells to grow but is only available to adults on the NHS.
Dasatinib is believed to help reduce the need for bone marrow transplants in young leukaemia suffers but hasn’t been tested on children before.
James, now 14, is in remission and has improved “100 per cent” thanks to the drug, according to his mum Pam Morley, 48.
She said: "He's doing absolutely amazing now. Compared to how he was just a year ago, he's improved 100 per cent.
"I think at that time you do all you can to save your child, and I think anyone who is offered the chance to take part in a trial should do it.
"There's an 85 per cent chance of relapse without the trial.
"The trials are only with drugs that are the same or better as what you already have access to, so you have nothing to lose.”
James, who lives at home with Pam, dad Martyn, 52, and nine-year-old sister Adele has now started school again after three years out.
He said: "I'm very proud to be part of the trial. If people are offered it, they should definitely go for it.
"It's a bit weird being back in school now, but I enjoy it a lot.”
James had to endure up to 20 forms chemotherapy, while also taking the drug.
He added: “All-sorts could come out of it and knowing I can help other poorly children is brilliant.”
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