A photo of Eesa smiling

MyNameIsEesa - Save lives this Ramadan

Together we can give the gift of life this Ramadan. Eesa was one of the lucky ones. Without people like you, his story would be a very different one

Eesa was in his first term of school when his parents were told he had aplastic anaemia and would need a stem cell transplant to survive – a treatment to replace his blood stem cells with new, healthy stem cells from a donor.  Finding that suitable donor for Eesa was hard as an ideal match is more likely to be somebody from the same background and ethnicity.

A donor was eventually found and Eesa is now a happy, healthy little boy recovering well after his transplant.

This Ramadan, his family are working tirelessly to raise awareness and get more people, from more minority ethnic backgrounds, to sign up to the stem cell register, so every person in need of a stem cell transplant can find their lifesaving match just like Eesa did.

A photo of Eesa holding a bag of his stem cells
Eesa holding a bag of stem cells

In the Quran it says saving one life is as if you have saved the whole of humanity

Mosan, Eesa’s Dad

Is donating stem cells permissible in Islam?

Yes, donation is halal. According to the British Board of Scholars and Imams (BBSI), scholars agree stem cell donation is permissible and considered a noble act (BBSIG-16: Organ Donation and Stem Cell Donation in Islam). Please speak to family, faith and community leaders if needed or refer to BBSI Guidance to read more about it. Stem cells gave Eesa another chance to live. This Ramadan yours could help someone like him. 

What happens when I join the register?

Anthony Nolan matches strangers willing to donate stem cells to patients desperately in need of a transplant. Once you are on the register, if you match with a patient, we’ll get in touch and we’ll organise and pay for everything. 

How you can help

Marrow student swabbing

Join the register

If you’re aged 16-30, join the stem cell register and you might just save a life. It’s free, quick and easy to sign up. You can join at an event or online.

A group of men and women in Anthony Nolan tshirts with their arms around each other smiling and laughing

Run an event

You could organise an event this Ramadan (or anytime!) to help more people like Eesa.

Get in touch with us at registerdevelopment@anthonynolan.org

A person using a mobile phone to sign up to the Anthony Nolan register

Spread the word

You can also help by encouraging more people to join the register. Share the message on social media

Facebook icon

Download these social media graphics to help spread the word

Fund a lifesaver

Layout of materials provided in the Antyhony Nolan Swab pack, received by those who sign up to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register

£15 could cover the cost of 8 cheek swab kits and postage to potential donors, in order to add more lifesavers to the stem cell register.

Picture of five-year-old Eesa Hussain on the beach. Eesa is holding a red bucket and green spade as he stands on the shore.

£40 could sign up a new lifesaving stem cell donor who could go on to save a life like Eesa's.

A person in a lab coat and wearing gloves looking at a tube

£100 can help fund the groundbreaking research our scientists are doing right now to discover new treatments.

Cheerpoint

A gift of £5 a month helps build a stem cell register that gives everyone the best chance of survival.

Healthcare professionals and patients in a clinical setting

A gift of £10 a month helps lifesaving transplants to happen – giving as many people as possible a second chance of life.

CordMumDolapo

A gift of £15 a month could help pay for our umbilical cord collection programme – making little lifesavers of babies only minutes old!