Bone marrow appeal for leukaemia girl

Darpana Kumar urgently needs a bone marrow transplant

The family of a three-year-old girl who is dying of leukaemia has appealed to the Asian community for a bone marrow donor.

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London have given Darpana Kumar just weeks to live unless a suitable donor is found.

There is a donor out there. I beg them to come forward

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While they could take marrow from a member of Darpana's family, they have rated the child's survival chances at just 20%.

But they said her chances would double if a suitable donor from the Asian community could be found.

There is currently an acute shortage of Asian donors. Just 4,000 - out of a UK population of more than four million - are registered on the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow register.

Darpana's mother Rima appealed for people to come forward.

"There is a donor out there. There is one. They just have to come forward.

"Basically, her life is in their hands, not in mine anymore. I beg them to come forward."

Not risky

Dr Paul Vase, a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital, assured people that the procedure required to donate bone marrow is not risky.

"To give bone marrow involves a short general anaesthetic. Bone marrow is taken from the back.

"It is a little bit sore for the day but it's a very easy procedure. It doesn't affect bone marrow at all.

"It is a very important thing because that small donation can mean the difference between a child living and dying."

Darpana's uncle Ajay Kumar is spearheading the campaign to encourage more Asians to register as donors.

"Leukaemia could strike anyone at any age. We are protecting ourselves but we also need to protect future generations."

A spokeswoman for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust said donors were needed from all ethnic minority groups.

She said: "The big problem is that you need your donor and patient to come from the same ethnic background.

"A Jewish patient needs a Jewish donor. An Italian patient probably needs a donor from a Mediterranean country."