Troy Dowel is likely to make a return to the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) in 2025 after making some remarkable progress in his battle against leukaemia.
Having already beaten leukaemia before, sadly Dowel relapsed towards the start of this year, with the cancer having returned to his system, meaning the young Victorian would be forced to endure more hardship.
However, being placed on a new trial drug called Blinatumomab as an alternative treatment to traditional chemotherapy has worked wonders over the past five weeks for Dowel, with his residual disease count now at zero per cent at the completion of the first cycle of treatment.
With the initial cycle proving a major success at eliminating the disease, it has also been achieved without the debilitating side effects that the traditional chemotherapy and steroids had on his body in his first battle.
The next step in Dowel’s recovery will be a full bone marrow transplant, which Dowel will undergo in May.
Should Dowel’s positive progress in this treatment continue and he wins this battle, he will be cured for life without the possibility of the disease returning, meaning a return to the ARC will be on the cards.
“I am extremely grateful to have been part of this revolutionary trial that looks to have helped me overcome and can’t thank all the people who have supported and helped me enough,” Dowel said.
“I was awfully saddened to be diagnosed with leukaemia again, but I stayed positive and was lucky enough to have a good support network around me and to take part in the trial.
“This alternative treatment gave me another chance to fight the disease because the leukaemia cells would have been resistant to traditional chemo treatments from my first battle.
“Obviously, there is still a fair way to go but the recent results have given myself and the family a real boost and we can see that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.
I am really looking forward to getting through the transplant and returning to normal life throughout the year and am hopeful that I will be in a rally car back in the ARC for the 2025 season.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for their support during this tough time and I look forward to my ARC return next year.”
Dowel’s father, Justin was just as pleased that Troy was able to reach this stage.
“We are all very relieved that Troy was able to overcome his second battle with leukaemia and I am so very proud of him for the fight that he put on once again,” Justin said.
“Although the Alfred Hospital is not the most pleasant place to be, it has been by the far the best place for his treatment and he is so very lucky and grateful to be part of this revolutionary trial.
“This specific trial drug worked by attaching antibodies to the leukaemia cells which allow the immune system to recognise them as foreign and kill them. This was all done without harming his physical condition.
“Troy is in very high spirits with this incredible news, and as his physical condition is still very good, we are excited to know that he will more than likely make a return to the ARC next year.
“Right now, his focus is to finish this battle, where there is still lots of work to get done, but once we are there, then he can switch our focus to his rally return, and we are all extremely excited.”
Feature Photo: DMAC Photography
