Call for more stem cell donors to help cure blood disorders

The Sunflower Fund is urging South Africans to support Sunflower Day, which was delayed this year because of Covid-19.  

Tubes of Hope, or Topes, the piece of clothing that can be used as a headband, scarf, armband or however the wearer sees fit, went on sale on October 1, retailing for R30 at Pick n Pay stores nationwide.

The Sunflower Fund is a non-profit organisation that fights blood diseases such as leukaemia through the recruitment of stem cell donors.  

Proceeds from Tope sales go towards the Sunflower Fund so it can “continue the life-saving work they do — recruiting donors and assisting patients who require financial support for transplants”, Sunflower Fund CEO Alana James said.

James said it was unfortunate that patients of colour were at a disadvantage as the number of black, coloured and Indian donors in the global database was low.

“Six-year-old Azile Ngubane started experiencing joint pain and weight loss, which after a series of tests resulted in a diagnosis of lymphoblastic leukaemia. Ngubane has no siblings and is still desperately in search of a match to save her life,” James said.

Finding a matching donor comes down to genetics.

“There is a common misconception that a genetic match can exist only within the family. However there is only a 25% chance that a sibling could be a match. The remaining 75% is based on finding an unrelated matching donor, but there is only a small chance of finding a match.”

James said blood disorders were complex and ranged from cancers such as leukaemia to aplastic anaemia.

“These illnesses do not discriminate against specific cultures or ethnicities, genders or societal status, and are not all hereditary; so anyone can be diagnosed at any age.”

 “There tends to be confusion between blood donation, organ donation and stem cell donation — these are completely different databases. There are also many cultural and religious uncertainties that people think are cause for them not to register”, she said.

“Most people worry that the procedure to register or donate stem cells will be painful. Registering involves three swabs of DNA collected from the inside of your mouth and cheeks, and can be done from the comfort of your home. When you are a match for a patient, donating is non-invasive, and doesn’t require surgery, anaesthetic or incisions.”

She said a person could only donate stem cells once. Becoming a donor is completely free. There are no costs involved at any point in the process.

If you are between 18 and 55 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 40 and a consistent body weight of more than 50kg, you could be eligible to become a stem cell donor. For more information or to register, visit www.sunflowerfund.org or call 0800-12-10-82.

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