Brother’s Stem Cell Match Provides Relief for Blood Cancer Patient Kal

Kal received a diagnosis of a rare blood cancer in December 2019, with a stem cell transplant identified as the most promising treatment option. The likelihood of locating a compatible donor on the stem cell register was low, given the increased difficulty for individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds to secure a suitable match. While some family members found it challenging to discuss cancer, others, including her younger brother, proceeded with testing to determine their eligibility as donors. Kal, a resident of north-west London, expressed her relief, stating, “He came out as a match and that felt like a relief.” She further elaborated on the process: “My two younger sisters went first and they weren’t matches. I felt a bit down because I thought they’re most similar to me in terms of closer in age. Then my brother went and then he came out as a match.” Sim successfully donated stem cells through a procedure he described as only marginally more demanding than giving blood, a decision instrumental in saving Kal’s life. He commented, “This was a very quick decision for me and one that I was happy to make.” Sim added, “It’s not complicated for the person donating, it is just slightly more for the people extracting it. And that’s it, it’s a very easy process. The difference it makes is life-changing.” Kal noted that certain family members appeared uneasy discussing her diagnosis and potential treatment paths. She recounted, “When I spoke to relatives about what I was going through, it felt like they didn’t want to talk about it. It was like a taboo thing.” She continued, “They felt almost nervous talking about it, so you felt nervous putting them in that position. They can’t even say the cancer word. They call it the C-word. It’s like it’s contagious if you say it.” Kal is scheduled to complete her treatment in one year, entering remission from next November. Blood Cancer UK reports that approximately 16,000 individuals in the UK succumb to blood cancer annually, positioning it as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The prominent charity Anthony Nolan currently maintains a stem cell register with 909,000 donors. Of this total, 16% identify as being from an ethnic minority background, which complicates the search for donors for some patients. Yasmin Sheikh, head of policy and public affairs at Anthony Nolan, stated: “Because genetic diversity in people from an Asian or other minority ethnic background is just so vast, we really need to be recruiting in very high numbers, not just in the UK but across the whole of the world, in order to make that representation and change the odds of an individual patient in terms of finding a match.” For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and engage with BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.