Appeal for Them to Register
Delete Blood Cancer UK is joining with the parents of a little boy who needs a blood stem cell donation for more people with a South-Asian heritage to register as potential donors. Six-year-old Yusuf Choudhury from Luton has the blood disorder Fanconi Anaemia and needs a blood stem cell donation to survive. A matching blood stem cell donor is being sought for him and as his heritage is Bangladeshi, his parents are appealing especially to those with a similar heritage to join the registry, as this is likely to provide the most suitable match for him. Yusuf’s parents are working together with Sajda Malik and Lisa Bose who are leading Yusuf’s campaign.
Yusuf’s illness means that he has spent a significant amount of time in hospital and rarely has an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Nevertheless, despite facing a range of health challenges, Yusuf lives life to the full. He has lots of energy, is very sociable and is a huge fan of the Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His parents are really proud that he has been able to excel despite facing adversity.
There is an average, at any one time, of 2,000 people in the UK who need a matching donor each year. Around sixty percent of those in need of a blood stem cell donation find a donor with a perfectly matching tissue-type. It drops to an average of twenty percent for those from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background. That is why Delete Blood Cancer UK is joining with Yusuf’s parents to encourage more people with a South Asian background to register as potential blood stem cell donors.
His mother Laki says: “Yusuf is on a cocktail of medication to help him survive. However, because of the nature of his illness medication will soon cease to work. Before that occurs it is vital we find a donor match to give him the best chance possible. With the help of my campaign managers, Sajda and Lisa, I have embarked on the Yusuf’s campaign to recruit potential life savers especially from the ethnic minority background. Time is limited, please help.”
Emphasising the importance of a diverse registry, Deirdra Taylor, Director of Communications and External Relations at Delete Blood Cancer UK said: “Those in need of blood stem cell donation are most likely to find a matching donor from a similar ethnic background. That is why it is crucial that that there is a diverse range of people registered to be on standby to donate some of their blood stem cells to someone who needs them for their survival.”
You can register in five minutes online and request a cheek swab kit that will enable you to do your own tissue test to go on the database to maybe one day become a blood stem cell donor, through the Delete Blood Cancer UK website: www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk
