A family from East Sussex has made an urgent plea for a stem cell donor after their teenage daughter was diagnosed with a devastatingly rare blood condition just days after her 13th birthday.
A Life Changed Overnight
Millie Fairley, from Eastbourne, is battling aplastic anaemia, a disorder that affects roughly two people in every million across the UK. The illness means her bone marrow fails to produce enough new blood cells, critically hampering her body's ability to fight infection, control bleeding, and carry oxygen.
Her mother, Hayley Fairley, 47, said the diagnosis transformed their lives completely and without warning. "My little girl should be starting teenage life, but she’s so vulnerable that she has to isolate at home or in hospital," Ms Fairley explained. "She can’t see her friends, and it’s been a really lonely time for her. We just want her to get better, so that she can have her life back."
The Search for a Match
Doctors have told the family that Millie's only hope for a cure is a stem cell transplant. However, no one in her immediate family was found to be a suitable match, deepening the crisis.
"If we can’t find a donor, I don’t know what we’ll do," her mother admitted. "I’m trying to be positive through it all but it was so upsetting when none of the family were a match. I’m on edge waiting to see if we can find a matching donor. It’s a huge amount of stress for all our family."
The alarming journey to diagnosis began when Millie visited her GP complaining of headaches, frequent bruising, and episodes of fainting. While awaiting blood test results, her mother noticed a rash and rushed her to A&E. Following further tests, including X-rays and an MRI, she was diagnosed and transferred to King’s College Hospital in London. She now receives regular treatment at Brighton Royal Children’s Hospital.
A Simple Act Could Save a Life
The family is now working with the blood cancer charity DKMS to encourage more people to join the stem cell donor register. Ms Fairley is urging the public to consider registering. "It’s so important that people know that they can register as donors. You have a chance to do something so positive," she said. "Please think about signing up, it could change someone’s life, maybe even my daughter’s."
Bronagh Hughes, a spokesperson for DKMS, emphasised how straightforward the process is. "For Millie and patients like her, a total stranger joining the register could give them their lives back. The process is very simple," she stated. "Joining the register only requires a quick health questionnaire and a few simple and painless mouth swabs. It takes 10 minutes of your time, but you could be the match that Millie, or someone else like her, is waiting for."
She added that if called upon to donate, most donors can do so through a blood-based process similar to platelet donation, with full support from the charity throughout.
