East girl (4) in need of life-saving blood stem cell transplant
“Even from birth, Jade struggled to feed and gain weight necessitating nursing through a nasogastric tube.”
A four-year-old Pretoria east girl living with a rare blood disorder is in need of a bone marrow transplant in order to save her life.
Jade Ward was diagnosed with Fanconi anaemia, a disease that affects the bone marrow and the production of blood cells.
The little girl fell critically ill on Christmas in 2016, and soon, after tests revealed that her pituitary gland was barely active and her bone marrow was functioning poorly.
Her ensuing treatment included regular blood tests and transfusions as well as daily growth hormone injections.
“During her intervals of good health, Jade shows no serious signs of her underlying illness and is a bundle of love and laughter,” said her father Jason Ward.
“Jade is now a bustling four-year-old but has been plagued by several dire medical diagnoses.
“From birth Jade struggled to feed and gain weight, necessitating nursing through a nasogastric tube.”
Jason said his daughter’s deteriorating bone marrow would necessitate a life-saving blood stem cell transplant.
He urged anyone healthy between the ages of 18-35 to register with the DKMS, formally known as the Sunflower fund, in order to become donors.
In 2016, Jade’s parents also lost their four-month-old son Gabriel, due to congenital abnormalities.
“The family has been overwhelmed with love and support, but as Jade has no siblings, the Wards are sending out an earnest plea for as many people as possible to register as life-saving blood stem cell donors to give Jade and others like her the greatest chance of finding a match,” he said.
“If one is a successful match, the process of donating blood stem cells is as painless as donating blood, much like donating blood platelets.”
DKMS is a stem cell donor registry and has registered more than 10.6 million donors worldwide.
To register as a donor is a quick and simple process which involves a non-invasive cheek swab.
Once you have registered online, a swab kit is sent to you via courier and then collected when you have completed the process.
For more information or to register as a blood stem cell donor, please visit www.dkms-africa.org or call 0800 12 10 82, weekdays between 08:30 and 16:30.
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