A four-year-old boy diagnosed of Fanconi Anaemia last August and now needs an urgent Asian stem cell donor to survive.
Veer Gudhka is one of the few hundred people in the UK to bea life changing diagnosed of this life-changing illness which results in a decreased production of all types of blood cells. His doctors initially believed that he was likely to need a stem cell transplant within three years, but recent tests have revealed Veer’s blood cell counts are rapidly declining making it urgent for stem cell transplant. Veer’s father, Nirav explains,
“We have known that he will ultimately need a transplant since he was diagnosed in August 2019, but the predictions were that he would probably hold out for a few years. We had hoped that would be the case, if not that, he would rebound and prove as some anomaly to the stats.
“We feel so unprepared and are very worried for what lies ahead. Outwardly Veer is the same happy go lucky, and healthy-looking boy we have always known and loved…but unfortunately, underneath this his blood counts have been steadily dropping over the course of this year.”
Veer’s mother Kirpa, father Nirav and five-year-old sister Suhani were all tested but unfortunately none of his family are a match for him. There also are no perfect matches on the global stem cell registers currently, and so the family are now campaigning to find the matching unrelated donor that Veer needs to survive.
His medical team are optimistic that it may be possible to buy some time by putting him on a steroid course to boost his blood counts, but Veer's current levels suggest the steroids may not take effect. Veer’s Asian heritage means it’s more difficult for him to find a matching stem cell donor. Currently, only 69% of patients can find the best possible match from a stranger, and this drops dramatically to 20% if you're a patient from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background. Only 2% of the UK population is currently on the stem cell register. The family have also fundraised for Anthony Nolan, hosting a virtual extravaganza in May which raised a phenomenal £9753.14 and recruited and additional 165 potential donors onto the stem cell register. Nirav says,
“As much as we don’t want it to take over our lives, it has. We know that finding a donor is like finding a needle in a haystack, so we are campaigning hard.
“We've had so much support from so many people, friends, family and even strangers. Over lockdown someone who heard of our campaign was inspired to host a whole day extravaganza to raise money for Anthony Nolan, but more importantly to raise awareness of our appeal. It is an example of the generosity we have seen in the campaign.”
Rebecca Sedgwick, National Recruitment Manager at Anthony Nolan, says: “The tale of brave Veer has touched hearts around the country, inspiring almost 700 selfless individuals to sign up as stem cell donors. Time is now critical for Veer and his family, so we’re hoping that anyone thinking of joining acts right away.”
“We urgently need more people from South Asian backgrounds to sign up, to ensure we can find a match for everyone that needs one.
Anthony Nolan recruits people aged 16-30 to the stem cell register as research has shown younger people are more likely to be chosen to donate.
You can get in touch with Mr. and Mrs Gudka at : 07949321338 or 07984936272 and find out more here: https://www.helpveernow.org/
You can watch their interview here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NuPwzec3Ygg9JibkON5iY2Y_8hXomXcg/view?usp=drivesdk
