THE family of an Andover woman who battled a vicious form of blood cancer are appealing for donors to come forward for the second time in two years after being told that the leukaemia has returned.

Andrèa Campbell is currently fighting an infection following six rounds of chemotherapy in three days in Basingstoke Hospital after initially being told there is nothing that doctors can do to treat the reoccurring acute myeloid leukaemia.

As previously reported by the Advertiser, Andrèa was originally diagnosed with the cancer two years ago this month and a search for a blood donor was launched when it was found that she had rare blood cells due to her grandfather Peter’s Caribbean heritage.

A bone marrow transplant was performed in March last year when her father, Paul, was found to be a suitable stem cell donor and four months later the family were told that the cancer had gone into remission.

In the 13 months since then the 31-year-old has returned to work one day a week, has taken up learning the violin and was training to cycle the Olympic route from London to Surrey for charity last weekend.

But two weeks ago, after suffering debilitating headaches, the family were told that the leukaemia had returned.

Speaking of that moment, her mother Bev Campbell said: “The whole family is devastated, the pain and heartache is indescribable.

“It is like being hit with a sledgehammer but we all have to stay positive for her.”

As well as calling on people from bi-racial and ethnic minority backgrounds to come forward as possible blood donors, the family have also set the challenge of getting more than 100 people to send Andrèa get well cards.

As the cancer has been in remission for just over a year she has now been accepted for treatment at University College Hospital London again and her brother Martyn is being tested as a possible donor.

If it had returned before the 12 month point then treatment would not be an option.

Calling on donors to come forward, Bev continued: “There are nowhere near enough bi-racial and ethnic minority blood donors and we want to raise awareness that doing something so little can mean a lot - it can save the life of somebody.

“Even if Martyn is a match we want to save another family the heartache of searching for a donor.”

Get well cards should be sent to Miss Andrèa Campbell, Side Room 3, Wessex Ward, Basingstoke Hospital, Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9NA.