Brave schoolgirl Imogin, 7, loses battle with leukaemia

By Gareth Davies

gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk

Brave seven-year-old Imogin Appiah has lost her four year battle with leukaemia.

Tiny Imogin had captured hearts across Croydon during her search for a bone marrow donor, after being diagnosed with the disease in 2006.

Despite hundreds of people adding themselves to the bone marrow register a successful match was never found.

Instead, Imogin was given a transplant of blood cells collected from an umbilical cord in July to renew her bone marrow.

Despite the revolutionary treatment inspirational Imogin suffered a relapse in October.

The doctors advised her family, from Aurelia Road, Croydon, they would not be able to do anything further for her.

So Imogin and her mother, Sheila, enjoyed quality time together before she passed away at 3am on Saturday.

Reacting to her daughter's death, Sheila said: "She meant the world to me.

"I honour her and look upon her with the greatest of love and respect.

"She is and always will be a fighter. The love that I have for my beautiful daughter is incredibly deep and she will always be my strength and guidance."

Orin Lewis, co-founder and chief executive of the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT), described Imogin as an "inspiration".

She said: "Imogin was one of the bravest and most courageous individuals any of us are likely to meet in our lifetime.

"Her maturity was way beyond her years and she was always thinking about others in need by imploring all of us to register as Bone Marrow donors and to give blood."

*For more reaction to Imogin's tragic death see this week's Croydon Advertiser, out on Friday.