Mum's call for 'hero' donor to give Amilah hope

The mother of a nine-year-old girl with a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder is looking for a "hero" donor to save her child.

Amilah, from Horsham in West Sussex, was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia at Great Ormond Street Hospital in October, after unexplained bruising on her shins.

Doctors told Amilah's mother, Mobeen, that a stem cell transplant was the only hope for a cure, but there is currently no match on the stem cell register.

Mobeen is calling for more people from ethnic minorities to sign up to become donors.

Aplastic anaemia occurs when the bone marrow cannot make enough new blood cells for the body to work normally, making it harder to fight infection, stop bleeding or carry oxygen.

A transplant introduces healthy stem cells into the bloodstream to help produce new blood cells.

As Amilah - whose name means hope in Arabic - has Pakistani heritage, she is more likely to have a unique tissue type.

This means she is less likely to find a donor on UK registers compared to patients from white, northern European backgrounds.

Unfortunately, Amilah's older brother Naa'il is not a match.

The family is now working with the Anthony Nolan charity on the Amilah Means Hope campaign.

It encourages people between the ages of 16 and 30 - particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds - to sign the stem cell register.

"Stem cell donation is giving a gift of life; it's such a precious gift to give anyone," said Mobeen.

It is hoped the procedure will allow Amilah - known as Milly to friends and family - to get back to her hobbies of horse riding and karate.

Yasmin Sheikh, head of policy and public affairs at Anthony Nolan, said: "Finding a donor for Amilah would mean giving her a second chance at life.

"Amilah's donor will most likely share her background, which is why we're particularly calling on people with Pakistani heritage to join the register and give someone like Amilah hope for the future."

Mobeen said the campaign was "for all those who need a hero right now and for all those who will need one in the future".

"Most heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things," she said.

"Signing up to the Anthony Nolan register is a chance to change a life and gift someone hope for the future.

"She means a lot to a lot of people."

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