A woman from Preston is urgently appealing for more people to join the blood stem cell donor register after being diagnosed with a life-threatening blood condition that has left her searching for a potentially lifesaving donor.
Rafiya Sherin, who is originally from India and now living in Preston, has recently been diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, a rare disorder in which the blood marrow stops making enough new blood cells.
She is currently receiving two rounds of blood transfusions every week, but her main hope is to find a stem cell donor.
Her story highlights the reality faced by thousands of people across the UK living with blood cancers and blood disorders, where a blood stem cell transplant can be the only curative treatment. Unfortunately, around 70% of patients do not have a matching donor within their family and must rely on the generosity of a stranger.
For many patients, finding a suitable donor is not straightforward. A successful transplant depends on a close genetic match, and patients from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and other minority ethnic backgrounds often face much lower chances of finding a compatible donor because they remain underrepresented on donor registers.
A Simple Registration Could Save a Life
Joining the blood stem cell donor register is quick, free and painless. Registration usually involves completing a short online form and providing a simple cheek swab, which is used to determine a person’s tissue type.
Many people are surprised to learn that around 90% of blood stem cell donations are collected from the bloodstream, in a procedure similar to donating blood or plasma. Surgery is only required in a small number of cases.
Many people are surprised to learn that around 90% of blood stem cell donations are collected from the bloodstream, in a procedure similar to donating blood or plasma. Surgery is only required in a small number of cases.
Stories like this serve as an important reminder that anyone in good health within the eligible age range could become someone’s lifesaving match.
Rafiya and her husband, Fawas, have set up an event in Preston on 16 August to encourage people to be swabbed and placed on the donor register.
