'Victoria Esperanza is cured'

Victoria Esperanza, the six-year-old girl from Malaga, whose campaign in search of a bone marrow donor SUR helped spread in September last year, received a transplant on 18 December. After 37 days in isolation, everything indicates that she has overcome leukaemia, as her mother María del Mar Fernández told the newspaper.

Although she still needs one final test, scheduled in two weeks, doctors are positive that "she is already clean". "Victoria Esperanza is cured," María said.

Victoria was first diagnosed when she was barely three and a half years old. She beat the disease but then relapsed in June 2025. The chemotherapy did not work as expected this time, which is why her family launched a campaign that had a purpose beyond Victoria's case, as they wanted to raise awareness to the importance of donating bone marrow. The campaign was supported by Malaga's religious associations.

In mid-November, SUR reported that a donor had been found for Victoria. The donor underwent a process called apheresis, during which blood is removed from them and passed through a machine that separates and preserves stem cells, which the child then receives in a way similar to a blood transfusion. This happened on 18 December.

Since then, Victoria has been staying in the same room with her mother, with only medical staff allowed inside, to preserve her health. The little girl was filmed announcing that she would be leaving the hospital on 16 January, after being given a second chance.

"We went into isolation on 10 December for eight days of treatment to prepare her for the transplant, which was on 18 December. We can't wait to get out and be with the people who love us and have shown us so much support," María says.

"Isolation is hard: you are in one room, you can't go out, but there have been many wonderful people who have come to the magic window, as I call it. Every day, someone appeared: friends or family," the mother said.

To give Victoria a piece of holiday magic, they decorated 'the magic window' for Christmas and Three Kings' Day.

"She has been doing very well: she hasn't had a bad day where she couldn't get up, she has done crafts, sung, danced, played. She is full of life and very happy," the mum said.

From the Three Kings, Victoria received a microphone, so now "she doesn't stop singing". Both Victoria and her mother are grateful to have been lucky with the donor search.

"In 15, days the disease will be gone," María says, as she waits for the tests to confirm that her daughter has been cured. "I can't believe it, we are very happy and grateful to the donor. Without them, nothing would have been possible. We don't know if they are a man, a woman, older or younger, but thanks to their altruism and kindness, Victoria has been given a second chance."

The girl's mother has expressed her gratitude to the medical staff that have been taking care of them. After going home, Victoria will have to follow a similar regime of isolation for at least 100 days after the treatment. "The first 100 days are the most important, because the organs are adapting to the new bone marrow and we have to be careful: we can't go everywhere we want to, nor see everyone we want to. We can go out to the park, but we have to avoid ill people so that they don't transmit a virus to her, since her defences are now very low," María said.

In any case, the little girl will have to undergo various tests and check-ups over the next few months to confirm that she is cured. Little Victoria Esperanza is now a smiling girl who says she has been cured by the Virgin of Hope.