Daniel is a bright and bubbly 14-year-old. He loves the outdoors and happily seeks out new challenges.
He completed his PADI scuba diving license at age 11 and has also undertaken a life-saving course. His recent sports have included mountain biking, rugby, sailing, rock climbing and hiking. His love of being a scout is easy to see from his numerous hikes and camps with his troop.
Daniel’s mom Anne recalls “Daniel’s initial symptom was back pain, first just once a week then almost daily. On May 30th this year, Daniel went to see his GP for blood tests, along with an x-ray and MRI scan. The same evening, we had a call to say that he potentially had leukemia and needed to attend a specialist children's hospital the very next day”.
“May 31st was spent getting tests and scans done. June 1st was the day the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was confirmed. Just five days later, his chemotherapy started, with 25 doses of three drugs given over a 10-day period. Soon after, we received confirmation that Daniel would need a bone marrow transplant.”
Anne is calling for all those eligible to join the stem cell donor registry. “You could be the only person who can save another person’s life. That person and their family will be waiting and praying for a matching donor”.
If you are aged 18-55 and in general good health, please request a kit online to be sent to your home. You could be the perfect match for someone, such as Daniel, in desperate need.