3-year-old Ethaniel Lee succumbs to rare form of leukemia, heart-wrenching Facebook post reveals

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Chen (left) with Ethaniel and his parents last year. File Photo

SIBU: Three-year-old Ethaniel Lee, who made headlines after he was diagnosed with an aggressive and a rare form of childhood leukemia called Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) last year, passed away early this morning at about 2.10am.

Sibu Cancer Care Society Chairman Dr Clement Chen, in a Facebook post this morning, said he received information from Ethaniel’s father last night that the condition of the boy had deteriorated and he had been admitted to the intensive care unit.

Chen said the boy’s condition worsened because of a bacterial infection and rejection of the medication, which brought about multiple organ failure.

He said doctors tried their best to save the boy’s life, but the latter ultimately succumbed to the disease.

“Ethaniel passed away this morning at about 2.10am, bringing with him all the pains and sufferings. No more injections and no more blood tranfusions.

“Your parents loved you very much and they are very reluctant to let you go. Rest assured that they will take care of themselves and till heaven meet,” he wrote in his post.

Ethaniel was diagnosed with the rare form of leukemia last year, at the age of 14-months old.

The only cure was through a bone marrow transplant, which cost about RM650,000.

Sibu Cancer Care Society immediately launched a fundraising drive for the operation and within days, they managed to raise RM500,000 for the boy to undergo the operation at Subang Jaya Medical Centre on Nov 6 last year.

In his Facebook post, Chen went on to describe Ethaniel as a strong fighter for taking hundred of injections and blood transfusions during his illness and had also endured unbearable pain throughout the ordeal.

“In his short life, he had moved a lot of people with his courage and determination to live and his parents had also sacrificed a lot taking care of him during this difficult time.”