The ever smiling Katie Currie is like most other five year olds. She loves spending time roller skating in the garden and making up imaginary games with her little sister Libby. But Katie urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. Katie and thousands of others need you to step forward on 10th May to join The Anthony Nolan Trust’s bone marrow register.
Katie was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia just after her 3rd birthday. Brave Katie fought back the illness and until recently was in remission. However, her blood count is dangerously low and the High School Musical fan has been in isolation in the Schiehallion Ward at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow since she relapsed in March this year.
Katie is on a cocktail of chemotherapy drugs to keep her healthy but urgently needs a bone marrow donor. Her younger sister, Libby has been tested to help save Katie’s life, but in an emotional blow, a family match cannot be found.
The family have now turned to the Scottish community to make a heart-wrenching plea for donors to come forward. They are working with the Anthony Nolan Trust who have set up a donor recruitment clinic to scour the region for more donors. Having more donors on The Anthony Nolan register means that Katie and other patients like her, around the world will be given a chance of life.
Katie’s mother Siobhan said ‘Katie’s a star. Despite her illness, she’s always smiling and causing mischief in hospital, whizzing up and down the corridors in one of the toy tractors that are usually parked outside her room! She loves school and after her morning check ups, rushes to be the first in line when the school bell rings.We are devastated by her relapse and are working with The Anthony Nolan Trust to set up a session for people to join the register. Please come give a blood sample and in future you might save someone’s life – a girl like Katie’.
Communications Officer, Caroline Berger, commented ‘We are urging people aged between 18-40 to come forward and help save a life. At this stage all that is required if you is a very small blood sample– but you never know, you may turn out to be a match and go on to save a life. There are 16,000 people across the world searching for a life saving donor. You could be that special match’.
Katie’s family are counting on a stranger to save the life of their little girl, and for now Katie’s roller skates hang proudly in her playroom waiting for her safe return.
