Alara’s cancer fight prompts campaign

Alara’s cancer fight prompts campaign

2 December 2015

A DOWNPATRICK woman is arranging a major fundraising event this weekend to raise funds for an organisation which has been helping her young niece’s battle to stay alive.

Ann Graham is raising money for Blood Cancer which has been trying to find a blood stem donor for young Alara Basturk who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Six year-old Alara is currently in hospital and her family is continuing with their appeal for people to register to be potential blood stem cell donors.

Alara was diagnosed three years ago and went into remission after being treated with chemotherapy. She suffered a relapse in the summer and her parents have been told she now needs a bone marrow donation to survive and is facing a fresh round of chemotherapy.

Her aunt hopes Sunday night’s fundraiser at Carousel Bingo — which features a mammoth raffle for a host of superb prizes — will be a huge success and raises lots of money. The event starts at 6.30pm.

Blood Cancer was launched to increase the pool of lifesaving blood stem cell donors as it believes not one single person suffering with a blood cancer should die because they are unable to find a matching donor.

“Given the efforts of the organisation to help my niece, I am keen to give something back by raising as much as I can so Delete Blood Cancer can continue with its vital work helping other children and their families,” explained Ann.

“It costs £40 to test people to determine if they are suitable donors and my fundraiser is a way of saying thanks and giving something back,” she explained.

“This particular organisation has done so much to help Alara who is currently preparing for more chemotherapy. It has worked hard to find a donor for Alara and will keep doing so, that’s why I want to do something to help.”

Ann admits she has been overwhelmed by the response to requests for prizes for Sunday night’s fundraiser which range from overnight stays at 

the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Newcastle and the Four Seasons Hotel in Carlingford, to four tickets for the Christmas pantomime at the Grand Opera House.

“A host of businesses have provided me with a range of vouchers and I have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity. It really promises to be an amazing night and I hope to raise as much as I can. I cannot thank people enough for the amazing prizes they have donated. They are all well worth winning.”

Earlier this year, the Downpatrick Boxing Academy was the venue for a swab testing session which provided local people with the opportunity to see if they were a suitable bone marrow match for Alara.

The six year-old’s mum is Irish while her father is Turkish and the family is looking for white, Middle Eastern and Turkish people between the ages of 17 and 55 to come forward and register.

None of Alara’s brothers are matches but the family, which has strong links with Downpatrick, is not giving up hope. 

Ann added: “Sunday night will be really amazing and raffle tickets are available at a number of venues including Gibney’s Mace at Stream Street, Tel’s Shop in St. Patrick’s Avenue, the Saul Road Spar shop, Paddy Gardiner Carpets located at the Saul Road business park and Mullan’s Bar in Church Street and Helena Magee, Ardglass.”