Help Find Rafiya's Match

She should be planning holidays and making memories with the people she loves. Instead, Rafiya, 30, is waiting for a stranger to step up to give her a second chance at life.

Rafiya has severe aplastic anemia, a rare, life-threatening blood disorder. A stem cell transplant is her best hope for living a normal life.

Rafiya, lives in the UK with her husband, but she grew up in Manjeri, Malappuram, Kerala, and is now appealing to fellow Keralites to help.

Why she needs your help

Only 30% of patients find a matched stem cell donor within their own family. The rest depend on unrelated donors from the stem cell registry, and matching is closely linked to ethnicity, making it especially hard for patients of Indian heritage like Rafiya to find a donor. Although India has over 1.4 billion people, only around 0.1% are registered as potential donors.

In Rafiya's words:

"Finding out there is such a simple, practical way people can help gave me hope. Registration starts with a cheek swab, but it can save someone's life".

"Please don't register just for me. Register for every patient who is still waiting for their match. You could be the person who gives someone else a second chance at life".

Get involved today

If you are 18–55 and in good health, you could be someone's lifesaving match.

- No needles - just a simple cheek swab

- Free, and takes only a few minutes

- Could give someone a second chance at life

Register as a stem cell donor today →