A student diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia has found a stem-cell donor against the odds.
Lara Casalotti, 24, from Hampstead in north London, inspired a global campaign to find a match due to her mixed Thai and Italian heritage.
She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in December during a trip to Thailand and told her best hope of a cure was a stem cell transplant.
She faced a “needle in a haystack” search because only three per cent of worldwide stem-cell donor registers have mixed-race donors.
Lara’s match would most likely come from someone with a similar ethnic background, she was told.
Now, after a global search by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, which included Thailand, the US and Italy and a session at Glasgow University earlier this month, a match has been found.
The donor’s identity has to be kept a secret due to patient-donor confidentiality regulations but it is hoped they will donate their stem cells in March.
Lara, who is studying for a Masters in global migration at University College London, said: “These past months have been a whirlwind but I am so thankful a donor with a genetic match has now been found.
“Thanks to everyone’s immense support, I have always stayed hopeful I would find one, but I realise how lucky I have been given how difficult it was to find that donor.”
Lara’s mother, Supanya, said: “As a mum, I feel pure relief as we knew the odds were stacked against Lara.
“Whoever the donor is, they will never, ever know how grateful I am.
“The transplant is still a few weeks away and I wish I could wrap them in cotton wool to keep them safe.”
Lara’s brother, Seb, 20, said: “We’ve been so lucky in finding a match but we know that others are not so fortunate.”
The Match4Lara appeal is backed by celebrities including novelist JK Rowling, Prime Minister David Cameron and actors Stephen Fry and Mark Wahlberg.
Ann O’Leary, head of register development at Anthony Nolan, said: “We’re over the moon we’ve been able to find a suitable donor for Lara and that she’s now able to begin her transplant journey.”
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