No more chemo! 4yo wins two-year-long battle against leukemia; Hospital staff and parents celebrate [viral video]

Positive stories of human resilience and happy endings are, well usually, few and far between. Which is why the recent news of four-year-old Alexa's triumph over her long battle with leukemia has been winning hearts on the internet.

After battling the life-threatening disease for two long years, Alexa celebrated the end of her chemo treatments by ringing a bell at the hospital where she was being treated. In the short video of the celebrations, which has found many joining in her happiness virtually, the little girl can be seen all smiles while trying to make sense of the cheer and hype around her. Overwhelmed but happy, the little girl clutches onto the red ribbon attached to the big bell and happily receives the medal being put around her neck by the hospital staff.

Children and Leukaemia

Leukemia, a cancer of the body's blood forming tissues along with bone marrow and the lymphatic system, is one of the most common types of cancer among children. Other forms of cancer common in children being brain cancer, lymphomas, solid tumors like neuroblastomas and Wilms tumors. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), every year over 75,000 children in India are diagnosed with cancer. Research and statistics also suggest that in children between 1-4 years of age, leukemias are quite common. The life-threatening disease happens when the DNA of a single cell in the bone marrow mutates and fails to develop and functions the way it is biologically required to. Thereby resulting in abnormal growth of blood cells causing leukemia.

While several recent technical advancements like CAR-T immunotherapy have further increased the success rate of treating leukemia, but chemotherapy remains a major form of treatment.