Parents’ plea for Asian stem cell donors to save three-year-old son

Three year old from Harrow Veer Gudhka has inherited a life changing illness called Fanconi Anaemia
Anthony Nolan organisation
Ross Lydall @RossLydall13 January 2020

The family of a three-year-old boy with a rare genetic disease that puts him at risk of cancer have launched an appeal to find a stem cell donor.

Veer Gudhka, from Harrow, was diagnosed with Fanconi anaemia “by chance” last August. The disease reduces the number of blood cells created by the body and creates a higher risk of several cancers. The average lifespan of those with the disease is between just 20 and 30 years. One in five will not reach 18.

Veer, left, whose name means brave, had become very lethargic in December 2018 and was found to have a low platelet count but his energy levels returned to normal a year ago.

His father Nirav said: “The news came to us as a big shock. We were distraught. We didn’t expect anything of that nature when we were called back in August. Our otherwise perfect little world was turned upside down.”

Doctors say Veer’s best chance of survival is to have a stem cell transplant to reboot his body’s ability to make blood. His father, mother Kirpa and five-year-old sister Suhani were found not to be a match and no matching donors are currently on the register.

As he is of Asian descent, his chances of finding a match are only 20 per cent, compared with 80 per cent if he was Northern European.

An appeal has been launched for people of Asian heritage to undertake a mouth swab to register as donors. People in the Gujarat area of India, where Veer’s grandparents were born, have signed up, as has a female battalion of the Indian army. The family is also working with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan and a website has been set up.

Veer is being kept “under observation” by Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Mr Gudhka said: “We know that finding a donor is like finding a needle in a haystack, so we are campaigning hard.”

Sarah Rogers, of Anthony Nolan, said: “Veer is a sweet and playful little boy who has touched hearts around the country through his family’s active social media campaign.

“He’s a bundle of energy and we want to keep him this way. Every single person who signs up to the register has the potential to give hope to someone like Veer in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant.”

Find out more at helpveernow.org

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