A donor out there could save my life

Wentworth Courier, wednesday March 1, 2006

Mother-of-three Vivienne Van Zyl is appealing to the community to help her find the stem-cell transplant donor she needs to save her life.

I know there is somebody who can save my life; it's just a matter of connecting. The person needs to have a similar ethnic background -Jewish Ashkenazi, Latvian or Lithuanian/ the 44-year-old St Ives hairdresser said.

Mrs Van Zyl emigrated from South Africa to Australia in 1997, and five years ago was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called myelodysplasia.

A few months ago, she was told it had progressed to myelofi-brosis, a more serious condition. Without a donor, her chances of survival are extremely slim.

"I have tried to find a match within my family and there is no-one. What it involves is a simple blood test." The donor must be in good health, aged between 18 and 40 and must not have lived in the UK for more than six months between 1980 and 1996.

Shula Endrey-Walder, a genetic scientist who volunteers at the Wolper Jewish Hospital, Woollahra, is helping to find a donor. "The chance of finding a match in the community is one in 100,000. With someone of the same background as Vivienne it is one in 50,000," she said.

Mrs Van Zyl implored possible donors. "I believe there is someone out there who does not know it, but they can save my life and spare me to be with my children until they are big," she said.

For information, phone Shula Endrey-Walder on 0414 780 444 or the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry on 9229 4444.

By Kim O'Connor