A DESPERATE Redditch family is trying to find a stem cell donor to save their daughter’s life.
Emilia Mackay, aged 5, was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia in May this year which is a rare life-threatening condition that means her bone marrow isn’t making enough blood cells.
As a result of this Emilia is ‘missing out on many things that a normal five-year-old would usually do’ and every week she undergoes blood and platelet transfusions to keep her alive.
Emilia needs a stem cell/bone marrow transplant from someone who is a suitable match to save her life.
Emilia’s mother and father James and Steph Mackay are raising awareness of DKMS UK’s stem cell donor register to not only help their daughter live a full life but also help others with the same condition too.
To sign up to become a stem cell donor visit: https://www.dkms.org.uk/register-now.
James aged 38 said: “We have no idea how long we will have to wait for a donor - it could be 12 months it could be more; we are just taking it day by day.
“Emilia is on and off at school, she went in last week to meet her new Year 1 teacher.
“It’s risk management as we are concerned about her getting ill but then trying to keep things as normal as possible.”
Emilia, and her sister Ellie, 10 attend Amelia’s Dancing School in Redditch and James says ‘whenever there is music on, Emilia is always dancing.”
As well as moving her feet Emilia loves to play the drums and can ever read drum notations.
“She has drumming lessons since the start of the year and we bought her some electronic drums and she has picked it up so well,” said James.
“She gets really tired especially towards the end of the day limiting things she can do but her drum teacher and dance teacher have been really good when she needs to miss lessons.”
The family are facing an excruciating wait to see if a donor comes forward but even if this happens, the brave youngster will have to go through chemotherapy before she has the transplant.
James said: “If we are lucky and find a match for Emilia then she has a long painful road ahead.
“She will receive chemotherapy just like a cancer patient in order to kill off her existing stem cells/bone marrow.
“This will mean months in hospital on a children’s cancer/oncology ward, as she will have no immune system and be susceptible to infection whilst receiving treatment.”
Until a donor is found, Emilia will need to continue to visit hospitals in Worcester and Birmingham as there is no paediatric care facility in Redditch.
“The alternative to the transplant is just chemotherapy but this takes twice to three times as long and doesn’t have such high success rates,” said James.
“The stem cell treatment is the best hope for her and if it’s successful she will be back to normal.”
To ease financial pressure, a fundraising page has been set up on GoFundMe which has raised more than £1,700.
To donate visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/emilia-needs-our-help-to-fight-aplastic-anaemia.
Any funds that aren’t needed by the family will be donated to the Grace Kelly Trust, DKMS and the Aplastic Anaemia Trust.
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