Aunt’s delight as Alara’s on the road to recovery

Aunt’s delight as Alara’s on the road to recovery

25 May 2016

A DOWNPATRICK woman who organised a series of events as part of a major public campaign to help keep her terminally ill seven year-old niece alive is delighted she is finally on the road to recovery.

Last November, Ann Graham raised over £5,000 for Blood Cancer which was trying to find a blood stem donor for six year-old Alara Basturk who was battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Alara was diagnosed three years ago and went into remission after being treated with chemotherapy. She suffered a relapse last summer and her parents were told she needed a bone marrow donation to survive and was facing a fresh round of chemotherapy.

But just days before Christmas, Alara’s family was informed that a stem cell donor had been found with the young girl heading to Bristol for treatment in January.

She is now back in Belfast with her family, with her aunt delighted with the support local people provided to help Alara fight serious illness.

Ann, who said she can’t thank everyone enough who supported her fundraising efforts in support of the invaluable work carried out by Delete Blood Cancer, also played a key role encouraging local people to sign a stem cell donor register.

Alara’s family was delighted when a match was found for her, with Ann grateful for the support the campaign to get her niece back on the road to recovery received locally.

“The family cannot thank enough everyone who supported the public campaign. The support of local people was overwhelming, including those who signed the stem cell donor register and many others, including businesses owners, who supported last November’s fundraising event,” she continued.

A match for Alara was found in an umbilical cord in the UK and in an amazing twist to the story, Alana’s mum Susan helped save the life of a little boy in France with her umbilical cord several years earlier.

Susan was pregnant with twins when her daughter was first diagnosed and her umbilical cord was then frozen and kept in case Alara ever needed it. Although it wasn’t a match for Alara, it was for a little boy in France.

Ann said the family is delighted that after intensive treatment in Bristol, Alara is home again with her loved ones. 

She continued: “We are all delighted Alara is home from Bristol after a successful bone marrow transplant. We would like to thank all those who registered with Delete Blood Cancer throughout Alara’s campaign and special thanks to everyone who supported last year’s charity event.

“Alara has reunited with her brothers Arda, Altay and Altan and the bigger family circle. She is well on the road to recovery but is still attending hospital as it will be a few years before it is fully known that everything is still good.”

Ann added: “Hopefully, within the next few months, Alara will be well enough to return to school, but all in good time. We would again like to thank everyone sincerely for their support in the past and their continued support and prayers for her future.”