Blessing Olalemi, Flavor Demand Additional Stem Cell Donors

UK-based Nigerian woman and Director of Safe Haven – Ray of Hope, Blessing Olalemi who lost a child to Chronic Granulomatous Disease, has demanded for more Stem Cell Donors in Nigeria. She stressed that without a diverse Donor Registry the possibility of finding a compatible donor diminishes for those suffering genetic blood disorders, such as Sickle Cell Disease, Alpha and Beta Thalassemia and Chronic Granulomatous Disease, or cancers such as Leukemia.

This commitment was inspired by the death of her daughter, Valerie Olalemi who was born with Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD), which causes the immune system to malfunction. She waited unsuccessfully for a compatible donor match and lost her battle with CGD last year at the age of 8.

Valerie’s journey has drawn together people in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, including Flavor N’Abania, whose video for the charity single, “She is One in a Million”, was releases globally on Thursday, August 19, 2021, with a premiere event at the Tyneside Theatre and Opera House in Newcastle. The event had in attendance, guest speakers, Wendy Taylor, health spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats and Chi Onwurah, Member of Parliament for Newcastle.

Figures cited in the Nigerian demographic and Health Survey (2018), indicate that 20% of children aged between 6 and 59 months carry the sickle cell trait and 1% have Sickle Cell disease, with approximately 25% of adults carrying the trait. In 1988 90,000 live births were predicted to have Sickle Cell Disease while the age adjusted death rate for Leukemia figures stand at 1.80 per 100,000 of the population, ranking Nigeria at 157th in the world.

As Nigeria’s population continues to grow and with it the need for Stem Cell Donors, Safe Haven – Ray of Hope is making a commitment to campaign in conjunction with the Nigerian Donor Registry, The Leukaemia Foundation, Chi Onwurah, a member of Parliament for Newcastle, members of the medical profession and media, for impactful legislation which will make stem cell donation free to all volunteers in Nigeria who wish to take part.

Together, the organisations aim to find lasting solutions to the shortage of Stem Cell donors, by raising awareness of the urgent need for donor registration and campaigning to make the testing process free to volunteer donors.