LONDON - 17 December 2007 - 310 words
London
school holds bone marrow donor clinic for sick pupil
Jo Siedlecka
Staff and students at Cardinal Pole RC School in Hackney, East London, have been rallying round one of their school friends who has leukaemia and desperately needs a bone marrow transplant.
Carena Cash-Abbey, aged 12, was first diagnosed with the illness last year, but after treatment at Great Ormond Street, spent 11 months in remission. She completed the Ten Bridges Charity walk recently, but became ill soon after and may be spending Christmas in hospital.
When the school heard the news they held a donor clinic which was attended by moire than 100 people. Further clinics are planned in the new year.
Mrs Duffley, Head of Learning at Cardinal Pole School said: " Carena is a thoroughly nice young girl, who is liked by all. She has shown a quiet determination to achieve academic success and to cope with her illness. Everyone at the school is anxious to help in any way they can."
Carena's mother Angela Xavier said: " Carena is a very sweet girl. She loves reading and writing. In spite of her illness she managed to keep up with her studies so well. I haven't got over the shock of her being in hospital again like this. I am pleading to all people, Black, White, Asian and mixed race. Wherever you're from, please do not wait until this affects someone you love before you do something. Leukaemia can affect anybody. I do not want to lose my little girl, and I don't want anybody else to go through what I'm going through. Please think about the valuable gift you could be giving to someone out there you could save a life".
Carena's brother Denzel has been tested but he was not a good match. Doctors are hoping they will find someone from the Afro-Caribbean who will be compatible.
A spokeswoman from the Anthony Nolan trust said that there are currently about 1,000 people with leukaemia in the UK, and more than 7,000 worldwide, whose lives could be saved with a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor. If you are between 18 and 40 and would like to become a donor, or for more information, call the The Anthony Nolan Trust hotline: 0901 88 22 234. (There is a recorded message on the hotline number and when callers leave their details they will be sent a bone marrow donor information pack. Calls are 25p per minute).
Readers in the UK can also visit: www.anthonynolan.org.uk . Readers worldwide can also visit: http://www.bmdw.org
© Independent Catholic
News 2007
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