Months after almost dying in a fire and losing her mother, little Gracelyn (Gracey) Green needs her community’s help again.
Shanique Green, Gracey’s mother, died last June when a fire razed the family’s home in Protea Park, Atlantis.
As the tragedy unfolded the desperate mother passed her then 6-month-old to her uncle through a window and turned back to save her grandmother. But both women perished in the blaze.
At 14 months Gracey was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) – a rare cancer of the blood that affects young children. Her only chance of survival is a stem-cell transplant.
The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), which is facilitating a donor match for Gracey, is imploring people of colour to be tested to see if they could be a possible match.
Zaahier Isaacs, Acting Head of Patient Services for the registry, says Gracey is classified as an “emergency transplant case”, meaning there is no time to waste.
“In most cases, family members, especially siblings, are generally most suitable, but even then only 30% of patients are lucky enough to find a suitable match among their relatives. That is why we must cast the net wider to the public to find the best possible match.
“Due to the family’s financial circumstances all testing and collection of stem cells will be funded through the SABMR’s Patient Assistance Programme, so they don’t need to be burdened further with any medical expenses. Everything is in place, now we just need a donor match.
“Brave little Gracey has already endured three blocks of chemotherapy that have been unsuccessful,” says Isaacs. “She was diagnosed last August, and time is running out. We are relying on the kindness of a stranger to come to her aid. It’s so easy to register as a donor and it takes only a cheek swab to test if you’re a possible match all free of charge.”
Lorenzo Erasmus, Gracey’s father, says it took a long time to come to terms with Shanique’s death and then to hear the devastating news of Gracey’s illness was just too much to bear. “Doctors aren’t certain how long she will live without a transplant, but our focus right now is to find the best match. The better the match, the better her survival rate after the procedure,” Erasmus says.
Lizel Solomons, Gracey’s aunt, says the little girl’s symptoms first appeared last July when she noticed her unusually swollen tummy. After a GP examined her, an ambulance was summoned and she was rushed to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town.
“That was when I knew something was terribly wrong,” said Solomons.
A series of tests showed Gracey had an enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes, which eventually led to the diagnosis. It happens when certain white blood cells, called monocytes and myelocytes, don’t mature as they should.
This can either happen suddenly or be associated with other genetic disorders in some children.
In Gracey’s case it was the former.
Since her diagnosis, and despite several chemotherapy treatments to slow the spread of cancer cells there has been no improvement. This is why a stem-cell transplant is deemed vital.
“My plea is to everyone in our community to help find a donor for our little angel,” Solomon said. “There’s a match waiting for Gracey, but time is running out. We need every single person who can to register as a donor. If anyone deserves a second chance, Gracey does.”
According to the SABMR, people of colour are heavily under-represented in the registry, and it is therefore much more difficult for patients with a diverse ethnic heritage to find a matching donor.
Isaacs said Gracey’s chance of finding a match is about one in 100 000, but the SABMR remains hopeful.
“The likelihood of people from mixed ethnic backgrounds finding a successful match is a mere 37% compared to patients from European descent, whose chances are 72%,” he explained.
“The procedure to donate stem cells is non-invasive and it takes less than a few minutes to sign up on our website: https://sabmr.co.za/. Anyone in good health between the ages of 16 and 45 can register.”. Those living in Cape Town and surrounds are encouraged to sign up at a special Donor Drive that will be held for Gracey on Saturday 26 February at the Atlantis City Mall, Wesfleur Circle, Atlantis from 10:00 to 16:00. If distance is a problem but you want to help by becoming a donor, contact the SABMR on 021 447 8638 or email them at donors@sabmr.co.za. . Financial donations can also be made toward the registry’s Patient Assistance Programme via www.sabmr.co.za/donate.
You could be a match for Gracey, register as a donor on https://sabmr.co.za/
