The search for a donor for Tony Ferreira, who suffers from Sezary syndrome, was started by the Jersey Friends of Anthony Nolan charity which last summer registered 220 Islanders.
Sadly no match was found among them but now a second stem cell registry – which draws from a larger age range of potential donors – will be running a second registration event this weekend.
The registration drive will be run by DKMS – an international register which started in Germany and has helped over 69,000 people since 1991 – but Jersey Friends volunteers will also be helping as part of their ongoing support for Tony and his family.
While the AN registry works with donors between the ages of 16 and 30, DKMS can register donors between the ages of 17 and 55, greatly expanding the pool beyond those who have been registered in Jersey so far.
The registration event will be held this Saturday and Sunday at the St Thomas’ Church Welcome Centre in St Helier between 10am and 6pm.
At the moment, Tony’s health is precarious.
He and his wife Osvalda must travel to London every two weeks for his treatment and he is struggling hard to manage his condition.
He has also had to stop his work as a gardener as a result of his condition.
Having been fighting for a lifeline for her husband since 2017, Osvalda is asking for as many people as possible to come out and register, which is done through filling out a simple form and having a mouth swab.
‘You might be a match for him or someone else in a similar situation,’ she said. ‘Tony is a caring husband and a loving father who is a rock-solid support for our family. He is asking for your help to get back to good health again.’
Those of Madeiran or Portuguese descent are especially encouraged to register as they are more likely to be a match but Sreeparna Roy from DKMS said: ‘Matches are not ethnically specific, so we are appealing to everyone in the community to come forward’.
DKMS relies a lot on monetary donations as it costs the charity £40 to swab and register each person.
Alternatively, you can register online for a home swab kit at www.dkms.org.uk.
