A REDDITCH family are celebrating after their daughter underwent a life-saving stem cell transplant at Birmingham Children’s Hospital following her diagnosis with aplastic anaemia.
The Standard reported the families desperate plea for donors in July of this year.
Emilia Mackay was first diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia, a condition which occurs when the body stops producing enough new blood cells, in May.
She is now back home recovering from the transplant.
Her recovery journey has prompted her family to emphasise the critical need for more people to register as stem cell donors with blood cancer charity DKMS, underscoring the urgency to support others still waiting for their match.
Emilia’s father James Mackay: “We’re just so happy she’s home, she couldn’t be on this road to full recovery if it wasn’t for her selfless donor,
“We saw how many other families are waiting for their kids to find their match, it’s not easy to see the statistics about a match when it’s your own child who’s waiting.’
Currently, only 3 per cent of the UK population is registered as a stem cell donor, but every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer.
The Mackay family have been working with DKMS, which holds the biggest UK register of stem cell donors, to encourage more people to sign up.
An online drive the family have organised with DKMS has already achieved 345 new registrations.
On the road to recovery, in familiar surroundings, Emilia manages a daily routine with essential medication and visits Birmingham Children’s Hospital twice a week for blood tests.
With her mother Steph’s care, and a consistent routine of good food and fresh air, the family remains optimistic about Emilia’s improvement.
James added: “We’re just taking it day by day.
“All she wanted to do was come home and spend time with her big sister Ellie.
“Now she’s back and they’re fighting like normal siblings.
“Emilia has seen the press coverage on her condition and was initially pleased to be ‘famous’ but now says she doesn’t want to be famous anymore as she doesn’t want to be ill anymore.
“Just sign up. It’s so easy to do and could save someone’s life.”
Visit dkms.org.uk/register to register.
