Urgent call for blood stem cell donors as three children wait for matches

Three South African children are currently fighting for their lives and are in need desperate of stem cell transplants to cure their blood cancers and disorders. 

4-Month-old Rayaan Madhav, 5-month-old Emily Blackburn, 7-year-old Neo Mere, was diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases and are waiting for blood stem cell transplantations from unrelated donors. 

Currently, between 800 to 1 000 children in South Africa are diagnosed with cancer, annually. 

But this does not include nearly 50% of cases of childhood cancer that are never diagnosed, largely due to a lack of knowledge regarding the disease and how it presents in children.

Children’s growth spurts can cause blood cancer and disorders to spread quicker and more aggressively. 

Therefore, diseases affecting young children tend to be those most often occurring in the developing cells such as bone marrow, blood, kidneys and nervous system tissues.

Baby Rayaan

The four-month-old was diagnosed with life-threatening Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) when he was just eight weeks old. 

AML usually requires immediate treatment and for baby Rayaan, bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant is his only chance of a cure. 

Without a successful transplant, Rayaan will have to endure continued chemotherapy and isolation, leading to death. 

But Rayaan’s chances of a match appear low because of a lower representation of diverse stem cell donors across the country and in the global registry. 

“Watching my son endure this pain is absolutely heartbreaking,” says his mother, Arlene Madhav. 

“There have been some very dark days. At one point he had to be resuscitated after a spinal lumbar puncture, but our courageous little fighter battled on and still wakes up every day with a smile on his face.” 

“Please help my baby to live, he is just too little to suffer like this. Don’t delay – you could be his perfect match,” pleads Madhav.

Baby Emily 

Five-month-old Emily from Johannesburg has been battling a blood disorder following her diagnosis in November 2021 at only three months. 

She was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML) and is currently undergoing treatment in the hope that a stem cell transplant will be performed soon. 

As with Rayaan’s case, Emily’s best chance at survival is a blood stem cell transplant. 

Dr Theo Gerdener, Clinical Haematologist at Albert Alberts Stem Cell Transplant Centre and Medical Director at DKMS Africa, explains that JMML, which is especially prevalent in young children, is a rare cancer of the blood and occurs when white blood cells are known as monocytes and myelocytes mature abnormally. 

“This cancer can occur spontaneously or, in some instances, is linked to other genetic disorders,” said Gerdener.

“Leukaemia affects white blood cells and bone marrow, and alarmingly, childhood leukaemia accounts for around 25% of all cancer in children,” adds Gerdener. 

“With proper diagnosis and management, including stem cell transplantation, childhood leukaemias can be cured in 85% to 90% of patients.”

Baby Emily’s mother Natalie Blackburn, says at the tender age of five months, her daughter has already endured multiple blood and platelet transfusions, frequent injections and other medication, lengthy hospital stays including isolation and ICU admission, as well as surgery to insert a port in her chest for intravenous administration. 

Her parents desperately hope to find a stem cell donor match through DKMS’ global stem cell registry and donor centre to provide them with this 1 in 100 000 chance. 

“We’re keeping positive and are hoping that a match will be found for Emily. Our hope is that she grows up, has a normal childhood and becomes a beautiful, bright young lady,” said Blackburn. 

Seven-year-old Neo

Neo was diagnosed with Fanconi Anaemia (FA) in April 2019 at only four years old. 

Before that his older sister was also diagnosed with the same blood disorder and received a stem cell donor transplant, giving her a second chance at life. 

Their dad, Phoebus Mere, recalls the late-night rushes to the hospital, overnight stays and time away from work as both parents grappled with the unusual, and persistent symptoms in their child as Neo endured uncontrollable nose-bleeds, debilitating fatigue, prominent bruising and innumerable fevers and infections owing to his compromised immune system. 

Neo is currently transfusion-dependent and is also receiving steroid treatment. 

A donor with the same ethnic background as a patient may be a better match than one who comes from an entirely different background. 

Globally, there are low numbers of registered donors among the Black, Indian and mixed ethnic populations, meaning the pool of prospective matches is significantly lower. 

For patients like Neo, a substantial increase in the registration of Black donors will directly impact his chances of a successful transplant from a matched donor.

Neo’s family has thrown its support at DKMS Africa to champion the cause of education and awareness around blood diseases. 

“People need to be aware of these medical conditions and empower themselves with the appropriate knowledge. There are people and organisations that are there to help and people should not be afraid to reach out,” pleads Mere. 

If you are in general good health and between the ages of 18 and 55, please consider joining the registry – it only takes a few minutes of your time and a simple cheek swab.

For more information or to register as a donor, please visit or call 0800 12 10 82, weekdays between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm. 

Once you have registered online, a swab kit is sent to you via courier and then collected when you have completed the process (at no cost to you). Take action, save a life!

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney

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