Thank you for hearing Aisha’s plea and taking the first step towards becoming a donor and bringing hope to patients around the world. In 1996 when Aisha was looking for a matching donor, few people in the public knew of the impact a blood stem cell transplant could have and even fewer were registered as potential donors. Because of this, Aisha was unable to find the perfect match she desperately needed.
Aisha Chaudhary’s life was anything but ordinary. Born with SCID (severe combined immune deficiency), a rare disease that leaves children without a functioning immune system, her parents were told that Aisha’s only chance for a cure was to receive a blood stem cell transplant from a matching donor.
Without a donor available, the doctors were forced to proceed with a transplant from Aisha’s father who was only a half-match. This desperate move gave her time, but ultimately led to her developing pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that eventually took her life at 18 years old.
Despite these overwhelming and persistent struggles, Aisha remained optimistic, not only for herself, but for all those facing hardships. She believed that happiness was an attitude and that finding hope could be as simple as turning to a friend, loved one, or even a complete stranger.