Gateshead boy Leland wins award after cancer battle inspires 1000s to join stem cell register

ITV Tyne Tees caught up with Leland and his friends before he travelled to London to collect his award

An eight-year-old boy whose battle with pre-leukaemia inspired thousands of people to sign up to the stem cell donor register has won an award.

Leland, who is from Gateshead, spent much of his early years in hospital as he received treatment for the illness.

His search for a bone marrow donor went viral in 2022 when he was the mascot for Blyth Spartans against Wrexham in the FA Cup.

It led Wrexham owner and Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds to share his story on social media, resulting in over 1000 potential bone marrow donors signing up for the register.

A match for Leland was found soon after and he underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in January 2023.

He is now cancer-free and his story has helped to raise awareness for stem cell donation.

He has now been commended for his bravery winning the John Petchey Young Hero of the Year award at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards.

Ahead of travelling down to London to receive his award, Leland said he was "overjoyed" to be nominated.

His friends were also keen to share how proud they are of him.

"I think it's a brilliant achievement and I think it's really nice for him," said his classmate Joseph. "He's respectful, he's good at football, he's good at a lot of things."

Another classmate Leo added: "It's an amazing achievement and he should be really proud of himself because I am proud of him."

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