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From: Yorkshire Post - Monday 18th April 2004
Date: 19/04/04
Time: 14:28:58
Remote Name: 195.173.8.59
Molly-Ann meets the 'angel donor' who saved her life
Dave Mark AS little Molly-Ann Barnett lay dying in hospital, her family prayed for a miracle – and were rewarded with an "angel".
And, more than three years since a worldwide campaign found a one-in-a-million bone marrow donor for the East Yorkshire schoolgirl, the American woman who provided the gift of life has finally met the child that she saved. Lori Ann White, 37, travelled from Texas to meet the Barnett family in Hessle, near Hull, and say hello to the nine-year-old whose fight for life in 2000 touched hearts everywhere. At that time, Molly-Ann faced a race against time to find a bone marrow donor who matched her rare blood type, after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Her parents, Mandy and Paul, began a campaign that saw thousands of people come forward to be tested for compatability – without success. But just two days before the deadline, when Molly-Ann was poised to undergo a transplant with an unsuitable donor, the bone marrow registry in the US found Mrs White, an accounts manager in Dallas. Her blood type was an exact match. The procedure was a complete success, and Molly-Ann is now thriving and only 18 months away from being given a permanent all-clear by doctors. This weekend the pair met for the first time, at a party in Mrs White's honour. The family first made contact with her last year, but due to English law, they were not allowed to meet until now. Mrs White told the Yorkshire Post how it felt to finally meet the little girl whose life she saved. She said: "There have been some wonderful moments in my life, but nothing compared to this. When I first met Molly-Ann, it was just wonderful. This is the best thing I've ever done, and I feel so close to her. I feel so lucky to have been the perfect match." Mrs White first signed onto the bone marrow registry 10 years ago, when a baby in her home town needed a transplant. On that occasion, she was not a match. She then moved to Texas, and did not update her database details. As doctors around the world searched for a suitable match, her details did not show up. But miraculously, and in an instance that has never been explained, Mrs White's details suddenly popped up on the database, 48 hours before the deadline. Mrs White was unaware who the recipient of the bone marrow was going to be, and was simply told it was a little girl. She knew nothing of the campaign in Yorkshire, which saw donors queueing for hours to be tested. The first she heard was a year ago, when Molly-Ann's mother made contact. They have been friends ever since. Molly-Ann said: "It was really exciting to meet her, and we're already great friends. It's a bit scary to think that I was going to die, because at the time I didn't really know." Mrs Barnett, 44, said: "There are just no words to describe what Lori has done for us. Thank you doesn't seem enough." Mr Barnett, 47, said: "I prayed for a miracle and found an angel. Lori is a million-to-one shot. She was our Lottery win, and we just can't express what she has done for us." Molly-Ann and Mrs White, who now wear matching linked-heart necklaces, have already found they share much in common. Mr Barnett added: "We've found some coincidences. When Molly-Ann first came out of hospital she said she had gone off pink and wanted her bedroom done in lime green and purple. When we first made contact with Lori we asked her to tell us something about herself, and the first thing she said was that her favourite colours were lime green and purple." Mrs White added: "I feel like family now. When Molly-Ann gets married, I'll be there."
Dave.Mark@ypn.co.uk