The Gift of Life joins a fight for life
Gift of Life Australia has received an urgent and desperate plea to help save the life of a Jewish Mum,wife and grandmother in London in need of matching stem cell transfusion to save her life .
Sharon Berger with her daughter Caroline and grandchild
Sharon Berger, 61, was diagnosed with a preleukemic condition known as Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) she was told that she would need a transplant as her only option for a cure. Sadly ,no one in her family has been found to be a good match and the only likelihood of finding a match is within her own Jewish Ashkenazi ethnic community,even so her chances are only 1 in 10 000 of finding a match. She faces certain death unless a match can be found.
While statistics show that 30 percent of people are lucky enough to find a match from within their families, to Sharon’s tragically learned that her three siblings are all matches for each other, but not for her. Sharon’s survival hinges on finding her perfect match.
In an effort to save their mother’s life, her children Jonni and Caroline have launched a social media campaign to encourage members of the public to join the bone marrow register, both in the UK and overseas.
Sharon’s children also called on those who have already joined a bone marrow registry to ensure their details are updated so that if they are a match the can be located.
The family is working through the UK-based register Anthony Nolan, which has close ties to all worldwide Registries.Although Israel toutes the highest number of Registered Jewish potential donors per capita in the world, a suitable match for Sharon has yet to be found.
Anyone can register anytime at any Red Cross Blood Centre whilst donating blood by appointment call 13 14 95 or www.donateblood.com.au or on a Sunday morning is Sydney’s Wolper Hospital by completing the Red
Cross medical questionnaire and giving a two teaspoon blood samle.Appointments are essential call shula 0414 780 444 or shula@giftoflifeaustralia.org.au. You need to be healthy,18-45years ,neither pregnant nor feeding and willing to save a life.
For those living in Melbourne call Yehuda 0425 724 314
Stem cell and Bone marrow transplants do save lives.
For further information call Shula Endrey-Walder on 0414 780 444
