A west London mother has made a desperate appeal for stem cell donors to save her two young sons, who both suffer from a rare and life-threatening genetic condition. Marcela Zberea, 29, is seeking a transplant for Cezar, two, and David Nica, ten months, who have been diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS).
WAS is a severe disorder that compromises the body's ability to fight infection, causing symptoms such as easy bruising, eczema, bloody diarrhoea, and prolonged bleeding. It affects almost exclusively boys, with only around three in every million worldwide, due to its link to the X chromosome.
Cezar was hospitalised shortly after birth with low blood platelet counts, leading to testing that confirmed the diagnosis for both brothers in the same appointment. Neither Ms Zberea nor their father, Stelian Dorin Nica, 36, are a match for their sons. The family is now working with stem cell charity DKMS to encourage more people, particularly those of Eastern European heritage, to join the donor register.
Ms Zberea described the boys' lives as 'very restricted', unable to attend playgroups or interact with other children due to their vulnerability to infections. 'A stem cell transplant could give them a chance at a normal life,' she said. Bronagh Hughes, a DKMS spokeswoman, stressed the urgency: 'For Cezar, David and so many others, the right stranger signing up could be their only hope.'
