Selfless twin sister helps save brother with cancer

A five-year-old girl is being credited with saving her brother’s life after she donated her stem cells to help his fight against an aggressive form of leukaemia.

Bradley Godish, from Elgin, Illinois, had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2014 and his twin sister Charlotte was asked how she would feel about donating her cells to her brother.

"She didn't understand the whole medical process, but what she did understand was she wanted to help her brother," father Brian Godish told ABC News US.

"Her words were, 'Yeah, just let me know when you need me.'"

Mr Godish said the family were almost at a loss for words as to how emotional it was.

"What Charlie did for her brother and my wife and I was nothing short of amazing," he said.

“For us to be fortunate enough for Bradley to have a twin sister who's a perfect match; we were speechless. Not everyone is so lucky.”

The surgery was completed at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in February this year, but the family have now spoken publicly because Bradley’s cancer is in remission and the twins are ready to start kindergarten.

Dr Jennifer Schneiderman said the procedure was recommended because Bradley’s leukaemia was serious.

"We do about 60 transplants a year and I'd say about a quarter are of brother and sister," she said.

"As far as an age appropriate thing, she was very eager to help him and said she would do whatever she needed to do."