The life of a baby boy with a rare blood disease hangs in the balance as his family make an appeal for Indians to register as blood stem cell donors .
The parents of eight-month-old Aarav Chand from Greenford are appealing for people to register as potential blood stem cell donors with charity Delete Blood Cancer UK to help their son find the matching donor he needs to save his life.
Aarav has Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD), a life-threatening and life-limiting condition.
For 90 per cent of bone marrow/stem cell donors the process is just like giving blood and can be done in two hours whilst watching TV or reading a magazine.
As Aarav’s heritage is Indian, 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.
Diagnosed shortly after his birth, Aarav is being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital. His parents say that, despite his illness, he is a very happy baby. His father, who does not want to be named said: “Soon after he was born we took Aarav to the doctors with what we thought was a reflux problem but he was quickly referred to the Royal Brompton Hospital. A CT scan showed he actually had a life threatening lung infection. It then became apparent through further tests that he had been born with CGD. It totally turned our lives upside down. Aarav is our first child so we were prepared for a life change but this is very hard. He needs around the clock medical care and because of his susceptibility to infections we have to be extra careful.
"He is otherwise an extremely happy and sociable baby and delights all the nurses on his ward. We are just desperate to raise the awareness of the need for more people to register as blood stem cell donors . I have signed up to the register but it is unlikely I will be a match for Aarav. No family should have to go through this worry. Any one of these infections could kill him.”
Chronic Granulomatous Disorder, is a rare condition that affects about four to six in every million people in the UK. Those with the disorder can’t fight bacterial or fungal infections effectively and require constant medication to stop infections.
As well as medication, there has been increasing success in treating it with blood stem cell donations.
Emphasising how easy it is for people to register, Deirdra Taylor, Director of Communications and Donor Relations at Delete Blood Cancer UK said: “It is no exaggeration to say that you could be the person who saves Aarav’s life, or the life of one of the thousands of people seeking a blood stem cell donor. However, you won’t know, and won’t be able to save their life, unless you have registered as a potential blood stem cell donor.”
You can easily register and request a simple cheek swab kit that will enable you to join the registry through the Delete Blood Cancer UK website (www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk).
