Today we're taking to social media to thank a Glasgow family who recently hit the £200,000 milestone in their fundraising efforts, having been inspired by their daughter’s ongoing search for a bone marrow match.
As a symbolic thank you, we're hoping to capture 200 photographed salutes to the family from their supporters on social media via the hashtag #SaluteSiddiqui.
The Ayesha Bone Marrow Appeal
Nine year old Ayesha Siddiqui was diagnosed with leukaemia in April 2011 and her family were told that she needed a bone marrow transplant. The family have turned to the Anthony Nolan register to find an unrelated donor and the search for a match is ongoing. Nadeem and Noreen Siddiqui, Ayesha’s parents, have campaigned tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for the charity ever since through the Ayesha Bone Marrow Appeal.
Their fundraising efforts started in February 2012, and the Siddiquis rallied their friends, family and their community as a whole to come together and help them raise an astonishing £200,000 for the charity.
In addition to their fundraising, they have worked with the local community and volunteers to arrange recruitment drives to sign up over 500 potential donors to the Anthony Nolan register at local mosques, universities and festivals.
The charity is now thanking the family and recognising their incredible efforts by asking supporters to post a ‘salute’ to the Siddiquis.
'I can't believe we've actually achieved it'
Noreen Siddiqui, Ayesha’s mum and Commonwealth Games baton bearer, said, “I can’t believe we’ve actually achieved it. When I think back to when we started, I had no idea it would be this big. There is no secret formula to it; the good people of Scotland have just taken Ayesha to their hearts and given their time and money so generously.”
The Siddiqui Family with the Commonwealth Games baton
”The initial target was to try and raise £150,000 and get more potential donors on the register for Ayesha and others like her. When we started we couldn’t see beyond the next few days due to Ayesha’s condition but a neighbour inspired us to raise funds and it went from there. Even after we raised the bar each time we hit our targets we didn’t think we could make it.”
A large proportion of the funds that the family raised went to fund the tissue typing of 3,171 black and minority ethnic spit samples to go on the Anthony Nolan register.
This was important to the Siddiqui’s and Anthony Nolan as a whole as, while White Northern Europeans have a 90% chance of finding a suitable bone marrow donor, this falls to just 40% for people from black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds.
'We can't say thank you enough'
Henny Braund, Chief Executive at Anthony Nolan, says, “We can’t say thank you enough to the Siddiquis, we just simply have to salute them. Their family and the Ayesha’s Bone Marrow Appeal team, have worked tirelessly to raise these vitals funds to support Anthony Nolan and have been key to increasing awareness of our lifesaving work in the black and ethic minority community and Scotland as a whole.
I salute you Siddiqui family – thank you for raising £200,000 for @AnthonyNolan #SaluteSiddiqui pic.twitter.com/k80Ch0pPBI
— Henny Braund (@HennyBraund) August 18, 2014
”Their selfless actions mean we can increase the number of donors available to everyone. Their work has been essential in aiding us with the urgent need to get more black and ethnic minority potential donors on our register. They are incredible supporters of the charity and we are truly grateful for everything that they do.”
How to join in
If you'd like to join us in saluting the amazing efforts of the Siddiqui family, just take a picture of yourself saluting. Then post it as a tweet or Facebook message using the hashtag #SaluteSiddiqui.
See all the photos on our Facebook wall here
Raise money to help us save lives
In this special 40th anniversary year for Anthony Nolan, find out how you can help them give people with cancer, and their families, more milestones together – from birthdays and anniversaries, to graduations and even grandchildren. Click here to find out more.