Alness parents issue heartfelt plea after devastating coronavirus-related donor blow leaves daughter (3) in limbo; Plight of Highland girl prompts new drive to encourage donors to sign up with DKMS UK website and Anthony Nolan registers
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
ROSS-SHIRE parents left devastated after being told bone marrow donors who could save their three-year-old daughter's life have fallen through yesterday issued a heartfelt plea.
A global search for the perfect match for Adeline Davidson earlier this year threw up the name of a woman in the United States considered to be the best possible option.
Hope after being thrown that lifeline following a frantic two-year search turned to despair this week because of donor complications related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Adeline, who lives in Alness with parents Stephanie and Jordan, suffers from an extremely rare form of blood cancer which requires regular treatment and has left her at an even higher risk during the current public health crisis.
Ms Davidson said: "I got a phone call this week expecting a date for a donor. That was not the news we got. The donors are no longer any use – it's all Covid-related. The two options that we had are no longer available. After almost two years, we're back to square 1. We were waiting for a specific donor. In a three-minute phone call, that whole two years was taken away. She needs a transplant to live any sort of life."
She is now "begging anyone who will listen" to sign up to become stem cell or bone marrow donors.
The family, with support from the wider Highland community, has already succeeded in encouraging hundreds of people to take simple swab tests, a straightforward process which can be started online.
The devastating news was shared with the family this week by the Glasgow-based consultant they have been working with.
Ms Davidson said: "I can’t put into words how heartbroken we are after finding out Adeline no longer has a donor available and we are back to hoping, praying and searching for a match to save our daughter's life.
"After almost two years of waiting for this life-saving treatment, we have to wait even longer but this time with less hope. As it stands there are no longer any matches on the registry for Adeline and as you can imagine it’s going to leave us with some dreadful decision-making in a situation that’s already life or death.
"That is unless we find another match for our sweet, funny, sassy, beautiful little girl. We can’t beg or plead enough to please sign up to become a stem cell/bone marrow donor. It’s a different registry from organ donation.
"Please go to DKMS UK website or Anthony Nolan website and register. They will send out swabs, swab your mouth and send them back and that is all you need to do to save a life like Adeline’s."
She said: "I can’t explain the pain I feel daily knowing that Adeline isn’t doing what a normal three-year-old should be doing. She is missing out on so much and although she is such a happy child it saddens me even more that she isn’t even aware of what she’s missing or not had the chance to experience yet."
Urging people to spread the word, she said: "Adeline needs a lifesaver."
She said: "There's someone out there. We just have to find them."
How you can help
Register as a potential blood stem cell donor with DKMS at www.dkms.org.uk
Register as a stem cell donor with the Anthony Nolan at www.anthonynolan.org
Related: Waiting game for donor for little lass
Ross family's race against time
