Elaiya is 18 months old and has the most endearing, loving and warm personality. People who come across her often fall for her, as she leaves such a positive and joyful impression.
Her family are swabbing the communities around the nation – and offering £20,000 for a successful stem cell or bone marrow match. Little Elaiya Hameed has a rare cancer which can only be cured by a donor – most likely from someone sharing her Pakistani heritage.
She started showing signs of extreme fatigue, high temperature and abdominal distention in April 2022 so her parents took her in to Bristol Children’s Hospital for tests. Blood test results showed that her platelet levels were low and that it would take three to six months for her condition to improve.
Elaiya’s platelet levels were increasing, so it was a shock when, in early May, she was unwell once again, feeling lethargic with a high temperature. Further tests were taken, then, devastatingly, the family was told that Elaiya has leukaemia.
She was started on her first round of chemotherapy the very same weekend. Her resilience was evident as she smiled the whole way through. However, the medical team know that she will need a blood stem cell donation to save her life.
No-one currently on the register is a match, nor is anyone in her family, who are Pakistani. Muzahir, Elaiya’s Dad says “There is a universal shortage of ethnic minority donors. That’s why we want to raise awareness to these groups and encourage people to sign up to become donors, as well as just how important and how simple it is to register.” South Asian people represent just 8% of the potential donors on the register.
Grandfather Mazhar Iqbal says the family are offering £20,000 to a suitable donor and she is “running out of time.”
He said: “We are offering to turn the world upside down to help my granddaughter. This is a matter of life and death. We are also hoping this financial incentive will encourage people to sign up to complete the very easy blood transfusion.
“It’s simpler than a Covid test and takes barely time at all, we just need people to click on the link and sign up. The money will change their life if they can change my granddaughter’s.
“The biggest problem for Elaiya is purely not enough Asian, ethnic minorities or south Asian country’s people being on the donor list. They just don’t go on it.”
Elaiya loves to blow kisses, dressing up and dancing to her favourite tunes. She particularly loves Disney’s Aladdin. She’s very close to her brother Salahuddin, who is protective of her.His dearest wish is that his sister finds a matching donor.
Please help this family ensure Elaiya has the best chance of getting a good match by registering yourself now.
https://www.anthonynolan.org/help-save-a-life/join-stem-cell-register?ref=fightforelaiya_appeal_page
