#HelpMySister

You could give someone like my sister another chance to live

My name is Naila and my sister Samina ended up in hospital after a period of chronic ill health. When the medical team undertook further tests, they diagnosed her with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare form of blood cancer.

We were told she’d need a stem cell transplant, and at first, they found a 10 out of 10 donor. But heartbreakingly, the donor was unable to proceed, and now we’re waiting and hoping for that lifesaving match to join the stem cell register.

Samina and I married two brothers and have always been close – even living together! Our children have grown up together, and we’ve always supported each other through work and home life. Now, I just want to do everything I can to help her get the treatment she needs to get better.

She’s in and out of hospital, having to undergo really gruelling chemotherapy while she waits for a matching donor to be found. I just want to let people know how important it is to join the register – particularly for those from the South Asian community, who may not be aware of how they could potentially save a life.