‘You could help save her life.’
That’s the message from the parents of Mapperley schoolgirl Isobel Somerton, who are organising a stem cell donor drive next week in the hope of finding a match for their daughter and cure her life-threatening condition.
Her parents Kevin and Sue have organised the donor event with the support of charity DKMS and Gedling Borough Council.
It will take place at the Civic Centre in Arnot Hill Park on September 26, between 12pm and 4.30pm.
Isobel was just 13 when she was diagnosed with Griscelli – an auto-immune illness of the blood.
The inherited genetic condition leaves those affected with unusually light (hypopigmented) skin and light silvery-grey hair. Griscelli is normally considered life threatening but Isobel’s condition is classed as ‘uncharacteristic’ due to her symptoms being less severe.
In Isobel’s case, the inflammation caused by the illness is in her brain which affects her balance and also her vision – which is permanently doubled. Drugs are now available to keep the teenager’s symptoms under control, but the only hope of a cure is chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.
Isobel and her family are now holding regular donor drives across the borough to encourage more people to join the donor register and help find more matches for Isobel and others who need a transplant.
You can register at the donor event in Arnold by filling out a form and having a swab taken of the inside of your cheeks to collect cells to be analysed.
If you’re a suitable match you could be asked to donate either through peripheral blood stem cell donation or by bone marrow donation. More information can be provided on the day or found online at www.dkms.org.uk
Isobel’s mum, Sue Chivers said:“We want to encourage people to get on the bone marrow donor register and help Isobel and everyone in her position.”
A spokesperson for the DKMS charity said: “Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Often, a blood stem cell donation represents their best chance of survival. Register at the event and you could save the life of someone like Isobel.”
If you can’t attend the event, you can still help by requesting a swab kit from the DKMS website
