Oxford toddler Ally Kim is searching for his potential lifesaver and his family are urging more people to register as a potential blood stem cell donor ahead of World Blood Cancer Day on 28 May. Two-year-old Ally from Faringdon, Oxford, was diagnosed with Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) in February 2016. It’s an extremely rare and life threatening condition where his immune system does not work properly. Even a small infection can be fatal. Around 30% of patients in need of a blood stem cell donor will find a matching donor within their own family.
Oxford toddler Ally Kim is searching for his potential lifesaver and his family are urging more people to register as a potential blood stem cell donor ahead of World Blood Cancer Day on 28 May.
Two-year-old Ally from Faringdon, Oxford, was diagnosed with Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) in February 2016. It’s an extremely rare and life threatening condition where his immune system does not work properly. Even a small infection can be fatal.
Around 30% of patients in need of a blood stem cell donor will find a matching donor within their own family. The remaining 70% of patients, like Ally, will need to find an unrelated donor to have a second chance of life. DKMS is helping Ally’s search to find a match for a potential blood stem cell donor.
It is especially hard for people who belong to minority ethnicities to find a match because there are relatively fewer potential donors on the register – therefore making Ally’s search harder due to his East Asian ancestry.
DKMS is holding a registration ‘donor drive’ event, on Thursday 25 May, for all staff at Old Road Campus Research Building, at University of Oxford. We are encouraging staff members aged between 17-55 and in general good health to register at the event to become a potential lifesaver.
Ally’s mum Judy, 36, who is a scientist and lecturer at University of Oxford said: “A blood stem cell donation from a matching donor will allow Ally to live life to the full and continue to do the things he loves.
The need for more Asian donors is huge. Someone registering as a potential blood stem cell donor could have such a tremendous impact for Ally and for people living with blood cancer. Thanks to the Old Road Campus Research Building and the University of Oxford for allowing us to host the donor drive. If you are unable to attend the drive, you can still register online and order your free home swab kit at www.dkms.org.uk.”
You can register as a potential blood stem cell donor here and can find out more about World Blood Cancer Day by visiting worldbloodcancerday.org