By Bejay Browne.
Tens of individuals and local businesses in Paphos have mobilised over the last few weeks, to organise events to find a bone marrow match to help save the life of a young woman from Emba.
Nikoleta Chrysanthou has been diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia for the second time and appealed for help from members of the public to help save her life.
Nikoleta recently posted an appeal on her Facebook page, which has resulted in residents and businesses in Paphos rallying to try and help her find a match.
“For those who do not know me, my name is Nikoleta Chrysanthou and I am 24 years old from Paphos. I am currently writing to you from the Klinikum Frankfurt (Oder) hospital in Germany because I need your help,” she wrote.
“Please everyone aged 18-45 so they can visit the nearest hospital in their area and give a sample. It’s a very simple process, but my life now depends on it. If no donor is found I do not know what to expect when I finish the chemotherapy.”
Nikoleta is currently in hospital in Germany and posts regularly to thank all of those involved in trying to save her life.
She spoke to the Paphos Post from hospital and explained further.
“I was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, this time the donor was my sister and we did the transplant. All was going well until I found something in my breast and underwent radiation. After that I had to travel to Germany once a month for a transplant from my sister. Then, the day before my flight back to Cyprus, I was told that the leukemia is back and I have to start chemotherapy and search for a new donor. Now I am in the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy and I finish on October 1, then we decide how to continue,” she said.
A large sampling effort to find a match in the Paphos communities of Emba, Chlorakas and Kissonerga, was announced the DIAS Emba sports cultural association. They carried out the largest sampling effort for volunteer bone marrow donors in the quest so far, they noted.
“Nikoleta is our daughter, our sister, our friend and she’s not alone. We’re all going to find the donor we’re looking for,” the association announced.
The sampling process is simple and only takes around five minutes. It involves collecting saliva on a cotton swab and is painless.
Alphamega Hypermarkets is one of the businesses that have been involved in the search, as the young woman’s mother is a colleague. The supermarket chain noted that they are reinforcing the bone marrow donor register of Karaiskakio Foundation as part of the effort to find a compatible donor for Nikoleta and sampling recently took place at their store in a number of towns including Paphos.
“I need you. I am looking for one of you who is compatible with me to become my donor, bone marrow donor, life donor. In case you are not my donor, be sure that somewhere there is someone else that you can help.”
To register on the bone marrow transplant list: Karaiskakio Foundation: 22 772700.
