19-YEAR-OLD LONDON CYPRIOT WOMAN NEEDS YOUR HELP
This is an urgent appeal to save Natassa, with a Greek Cypriot background. Natassa has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a rare and fast-developing blood cancer. Her only hope is a stem cell transplant, we are desperately appealing to people aged 17 to 55 from the Cypriot community and beyond to become a donor.
London Greek Radio is backing the Official Campaign and is playing a robust part in the Cause.
An event was held at the Southgate Hockey Club organised by Leukemia Cancer Society who were holding a donor registration drive with blood cancer charity DKMS in conjunction with Omonia Youth.
This Recruitment Clinic, Leukaemia Cancer Society and DKMS is urging Cypriots 17 to 55-year-olds to register as lifesaving stem cell donors.
They were helping Natassa find her life saving match.
19-year-old Natassa has leukaemia a form of blood cancer and urgently needs a stem cell transplant.
Natassa is of Cypriot heritage which makes it harder for her to find a matching donor.
They were asking you, especially if you share her heritage to register as a potential stem cell donor.
“Thank You for Your Support! We are overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who braved the terrible weather and attended our recent stem cell donor recruitment drive to find a donor for Natassa and others waiting for that lifesaving match. Your presence and willingness to make a difference have brought us one step closer to saving lives. Each registration represents hope for those in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant. Together, we are stronger, and together, we are making a difference.”
Also, a big thank you to Omonia Youth FC for their support. Thank you for standing with us in this vital cause.
Let’s keep the momentum going! 💙”.
Blood stem cell transplants are used to treat blood cancers, and we simply don’t have enough Cypriots on the registry.
“We do wish more people would come forward; we do need a lot more Cypriot people. We are greatly under-represented on the register. The Cypriot community is only a very small percentage of the British registry, a very small percentage. So, we need to do whatever we can to increase that and to make the register more diverse,” said Androulla Stylianou, explaining that Cypriots are heavily underrepresented on the register. She is the Co-Ordinator, at The Leukaemia Cancer Society in Myddleton Road.
“We are a very generous community, we are a giving people, a loving people; I think it’s just that people are unaware how simple a procedure it is. And maybe that deters them from coming forward. It is a very, very simple procedure that takes not too long at all of your time and a procedure that can potentially save a life,” said Androulla.
Diversifying the register is extremely important to people from our community.
Currently, only 2% of the UK population are registered as potential stem cell donors, and just 13% of those on the register come from minority ethnic backgrounds.
This means patients from those communities have a low chance of finding a matching blood stem cell donor.
They are also twice as likely to not find a donor than the white population.
Their appeal is supported by British blood charity DKMS, which can arrange a mass swab testing session for groups, or they can send a special kit home for people to do their own swab test.
Currently, the odds of finding a match for Cypriots, is very low due to the small number of people from the community being registered on the global blood register.
To help improve the odds of survival for blood cancer patients of Cypriot heritage, simply register online at dkms.org.uk for a cheek swab kit. It’s open to all UK residents who are healthy and aged between 17- 55 years of age.
The swab test itself is a painless, 30-second procedure. You use a cotton bud to rub on the inside of your cheek, which is returned to DKMS in a sealed bag. Its labs will do the necessary tests and add your details to the UK blood register, which is accessible to other blood charities worldwide. You only need to do the test once and it will cover you until you reach 55.
Where a match is generated, the process for donating stem cells is far easier and less invasive than previously, and there are no known health risks. You simply give blood, which is used for stem cell treatment of the patient with blood cancer.
There is nothing to fear, it is just a cheek swab, so nothing too intrusive.
The Leukaemia Cancer Society was founded in 1994 and in response to a radio appeal for John Triteos on London Greek Radio..
“It was an appeal for John Triteous that we heard, and we went forward to give blood and join the register ourselves. And that is what inspired, the Leukaemia Cancer Society to recruit Mediterranean donors, Greek-Cypriot, Turkish-Cypriot, to help save lives.
“It was a radio appeal which inspired the creation of The Leukaemia Cancer Society, and LGR actually,” said Androulla.
Please step forward, there aren’t many Cypriots on the register and for that reason Natassa and others haven’t found a match so far.
It’s easy to register as a donor, by going to The Leukaemia Cancer Society’s website, you can register to become a donor. After registering, a swab will be sent to you, where you swab inside your mouth and send it back to the charity.
If you’re a match, you’ll receive a call on how to give your stem cell or bone marrow – and it could save someone’s life.
For more information on how to become a donor, click here.
Or for more information on the charity, click here.
Alternatively, you can contact Androulla from Leukaemia Cancer Society on 07872 633508 or 020 8374 4821 for more details.
Pic: The Leukaemia Cancer Society Facebook
Article written by London Greek Radio
