Page 14 - WMPF Federation FEB-MAR 2022_Neat

APPEAL LAUNCHED

Officer’s appeal for life-

saving stem cell donor for

teenage daughter

school again, but she just can’t do that. It’s so
hard.”
Having the condition means Izzie is
vulnerable to infection, which has meant she
has extremely limited contact with her friends,
Izzie during a recent hospital stay. is currently home-schooled and is not allowed
to enjoy playing netball any more.
Izzie’s life is now centred around hospital
West Midlands detective is urging blood cells are easily destroyed. visits, with regular routine appointments
Federation members to join the stem “It was very, very sudden,” explains Sally, taking place every Monday and Thursday for
A cell register after her teenage daughter “Izzie is a really keen netball player and it was blood and platelet transfusions.
was diagnosed with two life-threatening, rare literally like, one weekend she was playing “We’re watching her all the time. Any
blood disorders. netball and then the next weekend, she had bruising or blood blisters, and we need to go to
DS Sally Olsen is making the appeal for developed this unexplainable large bruising. hospital immediately,” said Sally, who joined
13-year-old Izzie, who is in desperate need of a “Izzie was just 12 at the time and it was the police 22 years ago.
stem cell transplant as she continues to fight very frightening. Izzie’s life has turned upside The best solution for Izzie would be to find
the disorders. down. a perfect match stem transplant donor.
Shortly after being diagnosed with aplastic “You have to think about what life looks Sally added: “There’s no denying, these are
anaemia - a condition which occurs when your like for Izzie now, both short and long-term. life-threatening conditions, it’s heartbreaking.
body stops producing enough new blood cells And also for Izzie’s 10-year-old sister and the Finding a donor would literally change Izzie’s
- in June last year, Izzie was then given the rest of our family. Life totally changes. Izzie life. I’m doing this for Izzie.
news that she had the secondary extremely was even in hospital for her 13th birthday. “Of course, as soon as we could, all Izzie’s
rare condition, paroxysmal nocturnal “For everyone else, life is starting to return close family went for tests to see if we
hemoglobinuria (PNH), which is when red back to normal. Izzie’s friends are all back at matched her but none of us did, which was

14 federation February/March 2022 www.polfed.org/westmids