A Scottish mum whose 13-year-old daughter is battling relapsed leukaemia has issued an emotional plea for people across the country to become potential stem cell donors. Esther Jacobs, who grew up in Fife before moving to South Africa, is urging Scots to sign up to the DKMS UK stem cell donor register in the hope of finding a match for her daughter Alba Overbeeke.
The teenager, who loves anime, animals, cooking and became a qualified scuba diver at just 10 years old, should be enjoying life with friends and planning for her future. Instead, she is undergoing intensive treatment after her acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) returned earlier this year.
Alba was first diagnosed with childhood cancer and had been in complete remission for a year when she began suffering pain in her knees after karate lessons. Doctors initially believed it was ligament damage, but further tests revealed the devastating news that her leukaemia had returned.
View 5 ImagesAlba was first diagnosed with childhood cancer
Now, her medical team has told the family she will need a stem cell transplant to give her the best chance of recovery. For patients with blood cancers and disorders, a transplant from a matching donor can be the only route to survival.
But only one in three people will find a suitable match within their family – and sadly for Alba, none of her relatives are a match. Her hope now rests on finding a lifesaving donor among complete strangers who have signed up to the register.
View 5 ImagesEsther and Alba
Esther said: “For many people, stem cell donation feels like something that happens to someone else, until it doesn’t. I grew up in Scotland, and most of my family still lives there, so I know how generous Scots are.
“It doesn’t get more extraordinary than giving someone the gift of life.”
While her appeal has been sparked by Alba’s battle, Esther stressed that joining the register could help thousands of families facing similar heartbreak. Around 2,000 people in the UK are searching for a stem cell donor at any given time.
She said: “Every person who joins the register could one day become the match for someone’s son, daughter, mum, dad, brother or sister. Whether that patient is in Scotland, South Africa or anywhere else in the world doesn’t matter. The register saves lives across borders.”
View 5 ImagesAlba
In the UK, anyone aged between 16 and 55 and in generally good health can join the stem cell donor register – but only around seven per cent of eligible people have signed up. Potential donors can request a free registration kit from DKMS UK, complete a few health questions and provide simple cheek swabs at home before returning the kit by post.
DKMS spokesperson Bronagh Hughes said: “For patients like Alba, the right stranger joining the stem cell donor register could give them a second chance at life. The process is very simple. Joining the register only requires answering a few questions and completing a few painless mouth swabs.
“It takes 10 minutes of your time, but you could be the match Alba – or someone else like her – is waiting for.”
View 5 ImagesAlba needs a transplant.
Esther added: “The hope I have to keep holding onto is that somewhere in the world, there may already be someone who could save my daughter’s life… they just don’t know they’re needed yet. It costs nothing and only takes a few minutes. But for someone waiting for a stem cell transplant, it could mean everything.”
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- To find out more, or order a swab kit, visit: dkms.org.uk
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