Help Rafiya find her match

Rafiya, 30, from Preston, should be planning holidays, making memories with her husband, and spending time with her friends.

Instead, she's waiting to find out if a complete stranger could save her life. Rafiya has been diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia, a rare and life-threatening blood disorder. Her doctors have told her that a stem cell transplant is now her best hope for a second chance at life.

Here's why she needs your help:

Only 1 in 3 patients will find a matching stem cell donor within their own family. Everyone else relies on finding a match through the stem cell register.

For Rafiya, who is of Indian heritage, finding a match is even more difficult because matching is closely linked to ethnicity. Yet only 16% of the UK stem cell register is made up of people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

"It's a scary prospect," says Rafiya. "I'm a very social person. I love my work, and being out and interacting with other people is an important part of who I am. The idea that I'm too ill to work or be around my friends and family has been hard to deal with."

Despite everything she's facing, Rafiya has found hope through the kindness of others.

"Finding out about the register was a relief for me. Knowing there is an easy, practical way people can help has given me a sense of purpose during treatment. I hope that, in the future, when someone from an ethnic minority receives a diagnosis like mine, they'll feel a little less frightened knowing they have a better chance of finding a match because more people have joined the stem cell register."

Get involved today

If you're aged 16–55 and in good health, you could be someone's lifesaving match! Click the 'Become a donor' button to join the stem cell donor register today