Ali Is Searching for the Donor Who Could Give Him a New Start

A Matching Donor Could Give Ali the Chance to Move Beyond Sickle Cell Disease

Aspiring midfielder and devoted FC Bayern supporter, Ali has lived with sickle cell disease since he was a baby. Now, his condition is worsening, and his family is urgently searching for a matching stem cell donor who could give Ali a second chance at life.

Diagnosed with sickle cell disease in 2015, when he was just eight months old, Ali’s life has been marked by painful episodes and lengthy hospital stays. His aunt, who currently has guardianship of Ali, has watched him grow up while seeing firsthand how the condition has affected his life.

“Since his diagnosis, he has been under the care of our clinic and, unfortunately, he has become a regular patient. On average, he has three pain crises a year. Last year, he had five. These episodes involve severe pain and, above all, long hospital stays,” says his aunt.

For Ali, a painful episode means missing school, staying away from the football pitch and spending long periods in hospital time that could otherwise be spent doing the things he loves.

There is currently no suitable donor for Ali within his family, and a search of the existing donor database has also not produced a match.

“Ali is originally from Sierra Leone, so finding a donor with a similar genetic background could be important in his search for a match. We are hoping that someone from a similar genetic background will register and that a suitable donor for Ali will be found,” says his aunt.

Finding a matching donor could give Ali the opportunity to undergo a stem cell transplant and, if successful, the chance to live free from sickle cell disease.

Register as a stem cell donor today. You could be the match Ali is waiting for.

Remember, all costs related to the donation process are taken care of by DKMS Africa.

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