Olcán's story
Seven-year-old Olcán needs your help in finding a matching donor.
In September 2021 Olcán was diagnosed with a one-in-a-million blood disorder called aplastic anaemia. To beat his life-threatening condition, his family are appealing for as many members of the public to become blood stem cell donors as possible.
A transplant is the only known cure.
Due to the severity of his condition, doctors can’t be certain on how long Olcán can live without a transplant as any potential illness could be fatal. The average death rate for those with the condition is 70% within one year.
To beat his life-threatening condition, his family are appealing for as many members of the public to become blood stem cell donors as possible. A transplant is the only known cure.
Living between Newent, Gloucestershire, and County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Olcán was a normal six-year-old boy who loved football, playing with his friends and his four-year-old brother, Hunter. In August 2021, his life changed forever after his parents noticed severe bruising over his body.
Following a number of tests and treatments, in September 2021, and at just six years' old, Olcán was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia.
Aplastic anaemia is a life-threatening blood condition and a form of bone marrow failure, affecting just one in a million people.
Olcán’s parents Sam, a farmer and former retained firefighter, and Genevieve, a senior project manager in the healthcare sector, are appealing to the public in their desperate hope to help Olcán and others like him.
It takes someone just minutes to register as a potential blood stem cell donor, with a simple online form and painless mouth swab to return. These five minutes could save Olcán's life.
As he waits to find a match, Olcán undergoes two to three platelet transfusions a week, blood transfusion every couple of weeks, and attends school remotely via a 'robot' from his home or hospital bed. Since being diagnosed in September, he has had over 25 platelet transfusions and five blood transfusions in total.
Despite having to live in between his new home and hospital in Northern Ireland, with the support of the charity, Specialeffect.org, Olcán has been attending school remotely via the use of a robot. 'Sitting' in a classroom back at his old school, St Joseph’s in Ross on Wye, England, the robot follows the teacher and class around for the day, allowing Olcán to continue with his treatment, without missing out on his education and interaction with friends. His family have also received support from Angel Wishes, a local charity who offer emotional and financial support to all children in the family.
Sam, Olcán’s dad comments: "After Olcán's diagnosis, it took a while for the severity of it all to sink in. We are desperate to encourage as many people as possible to take the two minutes it takes to register for the free swab kit, for Olcán and others like him. Those two minutes, and the time spent returning the swab, could quite literally save his young life.
"Everybody that gives blood is making an enormous difference, too, watching Olcán go through multiple transfusions weekly. He's just the most wonderful boy, who misses football, his friends and play fighting with his brother - and our abiding hope is that we can find a donor match in time."