There is good news for child leukemia patients.  A life-saving drug in dangerously low supply is about to get replenished after an emergency move by the FDA on Tuesday. 

The agency's unusual move came after a major public outcry, and calls from Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

Last week, we introduced you to a special young man named Porter Lilley.  At 10 years old, he's already in the fight of his life.

"It's very scary and very frustrating," said his mother, Jennifer Lilley.

Porter and thousands of other leukemia patients were on the brink of running out of a life-saving medicine called methotrexate.

"Very crucial," said St. Luke's Hospital pharmacy director Patrick Fergusson.  "In some of the children -- most of them, I should say -- there's not another choice."

Methotrexate supplies are dangerously low after one of only four American manufacturers shut down production over safety concerns.

But what a difference a week makes.

Tuesday, the FDA announced extraordinary measures to keep the drug from running out, including overseas imports.

"It is quite rare for us to be able to receive a product from another country," said Bob Begliomini, Lehigh Valley Health Network's pharmacy director.

The FDA estimates the initial shipment of 31,000 vials from Australia should last about a month.  At local hospitals, that's on top of the reserves already on hand.

"We have at least a month's supply of the product, which is actually very good," said Begliomini.

At St. Luke's, Fergusson added:  "It's low but we have drug for our patients."

Longer term, the government has approved a new drug manufacturer to make methotrexate.  Experts said that doesn't mean patients are out of the woods yet.

"I don't know how long it's going to take [drug maker] APP to start getting drug to market," said Fergusson.  "That's my biggest concern."

Lilley is cautiously optimistic.

"Leery," she said.  "I believe that it will be available now, but I don't have a guarantee that it will always be available."

APP, the drug maker just approved to make methotrexate, actually put in an FDA application two years ago.  Staff shortages meant the application went unreviewed until now.