Instead of running around, riding his bike and going on adventures with friends like any other eight-year-old boy, Zion Roman from Nelson Mandela Bay spends all his time fighting a life-threatening disease and urgently needs stem cell donors.
Zion was diagnosed with hyper-IgM at the age of three and, while he was supposed to be developing social skills and figuring out all kinds of words at that age, he spent approximately four times a year in a hospital, fighting for his life.
Hyper-IgM is a rare blood disorder in which the immune system does not function properly.
Last year, he took a bad turn when he was diagnosed with neurological degeneration, known as progressive loss of structure or function of neurons – leaving little Zion bound to a wheelchair.
“You can help save not only Zion’s life but so many others fighting the battle in silence,” Zion’s mother, Chantel, said. “Before his diagnosis, Zion was an active, lively little boy, who loved riding his bike and running around with friends. This news devastated our family and community.
“Traditionally, patients battling blood disorders and do not have a matched sibling donor, rely on a matched unrelated volunteer donor who is prepared to donate stem cells.”
In order to help Zion with donors, The Sunflower Fund, partnered by DKMS, released a media statement urging people to register as donors.
“Most patients of colour are at a distinct disadvantage of finding their genetic twin due to the low number of registered donors from black, coloured and Indian population groups on the global donor database.
“In order to give patients like Zion the best chance at life, it is essential to grow an ethnically diverse registry of donors in South Africa,” the statement read.
If you are between the ages of 18 and 55 years with a BMI of less than 40, you could be eligible to become a stem cell donor. For more information or to register, you can visit www.sunflowerfund.org or call 0800 12 10 82.
“Take action – you could be the perfect match that Zion is searching for,” the statement concluded.
