Duke MBA student with Leukemia seeks blood stem cell donor as minority patients face lower match rates
Urgent need for Black stem call donors
Doctors told Chizoma Ekechukwu something no one wants to hear. FOX 26's Randy Wallace explains.
HOUSTON - Doctors told Chizoma Ekechukwu something no one wants to hear. She has leukemia.
How blood stem cell donation helps Leukemia and blood Cancer patients
What they're saying:
"It was surreal," her sister, Nneka Soyinka said. "She had just started her dream MBA program at Duke. A month or so later, she had a cough that wouldn't go away.
"She FaceTimed me and says they're saying it's cancer," Nneka said.
Chizoma's brother, Obi, who's a half match, donated his stem cells.
Sadly, Chizoma went from being in remission to being in the hospital in desperate need of a blood stem cell donor.
According to DKMS, the world's largest blood stem cell donor center, 70% of patients must rely on donors outside their families.
Black patients, says DKMS, have only a 29% chance of finding a compatible donor. That's why greater donor diversity is urgent.
It starts with a swab in your mouth, and if you are a match, it only takes a few hours to save a person's life.
What you can do:
For more information, click here.
The Source: Nneka Soyinka spoke with FOX 26.