5,000 people once lined up in rain to help a little boy with cancer find a stem cell match

It is wholesome to see an entire community coming together to help someone battling life and death at times. Little Oscar Saxelby Lee witnessed something like that. He was only 5 years old back in 2019 when he was given only 3 months to live after getting diagnosed with cancer. Lee required a stem cell transplant to ensure the extension of his lifespan but was having a hard time finding a donor who was a match with him, according to My Modern Met. That was when the Pitmaston Primary School in Worcester, England, extended a helping hand to Lee by organizing a stem cell donation drive.

Fortunately, nearly 5,000 people turned up at the drive and waited for hours in the rain to get tested to match as a donor for Lee. "What a fantastic turnout for our little warrior and those in need of a stem cell transplant," his dad, Jamie Lee, wrote on Facebook back then. "We cannot thank you all enough, Worcester. You have shown such warmth and humbleness these past few days! We have also heard people have traveled a great distance to show their support, which is incredible. You guys are wonderful people, so a massive well done to you all." The road ahead was difficult for Lee. Despite finding a match, doctors found that Lee's cancer had returned despite the stem cell transplant.

UK's National Health Service informed Lee's family that they won't be funding a second transplant or a potentially new cell therapy for the little boy. His parents struggled to raise £500,000 ($654,372) with the help of their community so they could take their boy to Singapore to receive proper treatment for leukemia, as reported by SWNS. When Lee returned home in the summer of 2020, his health had made significant improvements and he has been cancer-free ever since. However, Lee still had to remain under routine checkups and had to undergo a few other surgeries, including a kidney stone, hip surgery and a cataract surgery. The brave little boy continues his fight against his ailment and has recently celebrated his 10th birthday.

Lee has not only been able to return to his school, but he also became a big brother to Jacob. Lee's toddler brother was born with a congenital deformity called microtia that causes the external ear to be underdeveloped and he had to spend some time at the hospital as well. The Saxelby-Lee family continues to update their journey with their little family on their Instagram page, @handinhandforoscar. In one of their recent posts, Lee's parents posted him posing in his school uniform with a smile on his face. "Sports Captain," the caption read. "In his own words, 'Now that my legs are better, and I've been practicing to run again, I want to help the other children get better at running too.' I know after tomorrow, life may feel a little challenging for you once again, but remember, strength is forever within you. You've got this darling boy!"

People who have followed Lee through his challenging journey left encouraging comments for him. @dionne.astley wrote, "Oh my darling boy, you have the kindest heart. I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow. Sending huge hugs and lots of love." @xxtiajnexx commented, "Well done, Oscar. Will be thinking of you tomorrow. Go smash it! Good luck, and sending lots of love and hugs." @carolmellar added, "What a beautiful, kind boy. Good luck for tomorrow. You should smash it for sure. Thinking of you. You probably don't know me, but I'm a neighbor of Freddie's parents."

You can follow The Saxelby-Lee Family (@handinhandforoscar) on Instagram to stay updated on Oscar's journey.