A Kenyan family in Seattle, WA is appealing for help in their search for a bone marrow donor for their daughter Joey who is suffering from a severe form of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
Joey (pictured) is a lovely 6-year old girl whose parents, Frankline Magaki Onchiri and Eve Ogeke have have gone out of their way to do what is humanly possible to support her as they cope with the overwhelming demands of this devastating illness.
The couple has another daughter Nicole.
The family is kindly and humbly requesting your involvement in ending it.
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), which has no known modern or traditional medicine to cure; it can only be cured by a bone marrow transplant. Joey has had tens of hospitalizations (70 in 2014 alone) and surgeries.
Joey is currently receiving monthly blood transfusions to minimize complications arising from Sickle Cell Disease.  Because her sickle cell condition is life-threatening and she cannot continue to receive monthly blood transfusions forever, doctors have strongly recommended a bone marrow transplant for her. A bone marrow or cord blood transplant is the only known cure for sickle cell disease.
Unfortunately, Joey has not found a suitable donor of a bone marrow despite a worldwide search. This, in part, is because of the very few people of African ancestry who have signed up to the bone marrow registry at www.bethematch.org.
It is for this reason that the family is kindly requesting everybody of African ancestry, who is 18-44 years to take the first step of helping Joey by signing up to the Bone Marrow Registry using the link provided above. It’s so easy to sign up.
Once you sign up a cheek swab kit will be sent to you. Once they determine that your bone marrow matches that of Joey they will contact you.
Being a bone marrow donor is relatively easy and painless. In fact it’s almost similar to donating blood. Please help us to save Joey’s life. If you happen to be a match, your travel to the United States, accommodation and food expenses will be taken care of. God Bless!
If you have any question or need more information, please contact:
Frankline Onchiri – (206) 778-0455
Eve Ogeke – (206) 432-6340
https://diasporamessenger.com/2015/07/videokenyan-parents-terminaly-ill-daughter-seattle-turns-ivf-treatment/
Kenyan family in Seattle WA seeks bone marrow donor for six year old daughter with Sickle Cell Disease
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