People with blood cancers, like Naledi Senamela, need your help

The Sunflower Fund is looking for a blood stem cell donor for young Naledi Senamela (14).

The Ferndale non-profit organisation is supporting Naledi who has leukaemia, a life-threatening blood cancer.

Her diagnosis came after she was taken to the hospital because she started complaining to her parents about severe body pains, sore throat and fatigue.

Naledi’s best chance of survival is through a blood stem cell transplant.
Unfortunately, Naledi’s siblings are not a match, leaving her to rely on an unrelated matching donor. To give patients such as Naledi the best chance at life, it is vital to growing an ethnically diverse registry of donors in South Africa.

Her father, Marcus Senamela said his daughter was a very energetic and academically inclined girl who loved sport prior to her diagnosis. She had also been nominated as a school leader since 2016, where her manners and academic record shone brightly.

Every five minutes, someone in South Africa is diagnosed with a blood cancer or blood disorder, such as leukaemia, myeloma or lymphoma. A blood stem cell transplant is often the best and sometimes the only treatment available to provide those with blood disorders a second chance of life. Only 0.01 per cent of the population are registered as potential blood stem cell donors.

“I have high ambitions to become a doctor in future. Since my diagnosis, I can’t perform my activities and I’m not able to be as sporty as I used to be. I can’t even finish my schooling,” said Naledi.

Patients of colour have more difficulty finding matching blood stem cell donors due to the low number of registered donors from black, coloured and Indian population groups. When it comes to matching HLA types, a patient’s ethnic background is important in predicting the likelihood of finding a match. Some ethnic groups have more complex tissue types than others. A patient’s best chance of finding a donor may be someone of the same ethnic background.

You can help Naledi or someone like her beat blood cancer by requesting a swab kit from The Sunflower Fund, partnered by DKMS, when you register online as a blood stem cell donor.

There is no cost to individuals to become donors as The Sunflower Fund covers the cost of the DNA test required to register as a donor. There is also no cost to donate stem cells when you are identified as a match for a patient.

If you are aged 18 to 55 and are in general good health, you can register as a stem cell donor to help Naledi and many patients such as her.
Details: The Sunflower Fund elaine@sunflowerfund.org, 011 781 4026.