Woman's plea for stem cell donor after cancer relapse

Asia Sharif was told her cancer had relapsed just two months after she was in remission

A woman is issuing an urgent plea for stem cell donors after a cancer relapse just two months after she had been told she was in remission.

Asia Sharif, 27, has stage four Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer which develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands throughout the body.

The award-winning software engineer, who grew up in Liverpool and now lives in Manchester, is currently having chemotherapy at The Christie, but has been told a stem cell transplant may be her only chance of survival.

Ms Sharif who is half-Somalian and half-Moroccan said her mixed heritage means it can be more difficult to find a match.

Ms Sharif wants to raise awareness of the need for donors from ethnic minorities

Before she was diagnosed last year, Ms Sharif had mistaken her symptoms as a side effect of her gym schedule.

She said they started in 2021 and included itching and bruising on her skin.

"I was itching like a crazy person, 24/7. I had bruises like all over my body, black bruises, purple bruises, pink bruises," she said.

She had treatment, and was told she was in remission in April.

But just two months later, medics confirmed her cancer had relapsed and told her that a stem cell donor would give her the best chance of living.

Ms Sharif has now partnered with the Anthony Nolan charity to launch the Register for Asia campaign in a bid to encourage healthy 16 to 30-year-olds from all backgrounds to sign the stem cell register.

The organisation was founded by Shirley Nolan, who lost her son Anthony at the age of seven to a rare blood disorder when a bone marrow match could not be found to save him.

'It's a blessing to save a life'

"It can be harder for people like me, who are from minority ethnic backgrounds, to find a match, that's why I'm sharing my story, and hoping to inspire people to register," Ms Sharif said.

"If you're matched with someone in need, your stem cells could literally save their life.

"There are lots of good people in the world who genuinely want to make a difference and I think this is one way to really do that. It's a blessing to save a life."

Yasmin Sheikh, head of policy and public affairs at Anthony Nolan, said: "Every single person that signs up could give a patient like Asia a second chance at life.

"As a charity we're also working hard on other actions that could help more patients access life-saving treatment, such as partnering with international registers and accelerating research into new treatments."