Alara Basturk’s parents have appealed to white, Middle Eastern and Turkish people to register to be potential blood stem cell donors.
The young girl had been diagnosed three years ago previously with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, had subsequently gone into remission after chemotherapy. She was just three years old.
Unfortunately, in August Alara relapsed and her parents were told that she will need a bloog stem cell donation in order to beat the disease.
This is why a match is being sought.
Alara’s family consists of three other siblings, three brothers, but unfortunately none of them are a suitable mtach.
Ms Basturk is mixed race, her mother is Irish and her father is Turkish, so this is why they are appealing for white, Middle Eastern and Turkish people between the ages of 17 – 55 to register, in the hopes of finding a match.
Usually only 60% of those looking for a donor find a mtach, so the appeal is urgent.
You can register to be a donor within five minutes online and you must request a cheek swab kit.
Potential donors are asked to do their own tissue test which will be entered into the database in the hopes that those in need of a donation will match up.