Family of three-year-old with aggressive cancer appeals for help with medical fees, receives over S$600K in donations
The family of a three-year-old girl with aggressive cancer is appealing for donations to help cover her medical fees.
Doctors have reportedly said she urgently needs treatment within a critical six-month window, or her condition could become fatal.
Source: Give.Asia
Young girl diagnosed with aggressive cancer
Darlene Marcella Xu was born in Indonesia in February 2023.
When she was just over a year old, she began suffering from a persistent cough, daily fevers, and a loss of appetite.
Her parents took her to the hospital multiple times, where doctors initially diagnosed her with pneumonia.
Source: Give.Asia
However, her condition continued to worsen despite medication.
In late March 2024, doctors at a local hospital in Pekanbaru discovered that Darlene had acute monocytic leukaemia, also known as AML-M5.
AML-M5 is a serious and aggressive form of blood cancer, with a reported five-year survival rate of 33.4%.
Singaporean pastor helps family seek treatment
The Pekanbaru hospital could only offer a basic treatment plan, which reportedly came with a 20% chance of success.
Source: @babydarlene.xu on Instagram
Hope later came from overseas, when a pastor from Singapore who was involved in mission work learnt about Darlene’s condition.
He helped bring the toddler to Singapore, where she was admitted to the National University Hospital for advanced medical treatment.
