NIH Begins the Search For Blood For 2-Year Old with Cancer
Photo by One Blood
Zainab Mughal via One Blood
For the last month, the National Institute of Health has been searching for matching blood type donations for a two year-old girl named Zainab Mughal so that she can begin treatment for her cancer. Mughal has one big problem, though: her blood type matches less than two percent of the world population.
Mughal has neuroblastoma. Opal Reddy, a fellow at the NIH Blood Bank, said that “It is one type of cancer that affects your nerve tissue.” Depending on how severe the disease is, the treatment varies. The doctors treating her are looking to perform a stem cell transplant. During the period in and after surgery, Mughal will need a lot of extra blood.
According to Marina Bueno, a technical specialist at the NIH blood bank, yhe type of blood that she has is Indian B, named so because a certain antigen that is missing from her blood is the same antigen commonly missing from people of Indian, Pakistani, and Iranian descent. Blood donors must have parents that are both of this descent.
Additionally, Mughal needs blood type A or O, bringing her possible match down to 1.6% of all people. Based on percentage calculators on the American Red Cross website, the average match for her blood type, A, without the added limits, would be 28.25% of the the population.
The donations she receives must be missing this antigen. “[An antigen] is like a protein that is on the red blood cells and is used to identify the type of the blood cell,” explained Bueno. In Mughal’s case, though, “her body will not respond to any other blood type- it will not help her condition.” pointed out Alan Decot, a Market Coordinator in the Blood bank.
Decot said that the department began their search in early January. “Our Blood Services Chief found [the issue] online and decided that [the NIH Blood Bank] would support the effort to find blood matches.” When Mughal receives 10 matching units, she can begin her treatment to end her cancer.
If you are 17 or 16 and have a parent’s consent and have blood that might match these requirement, consider donating blood. Even if you do not have blood that matches these requirements, donate because people need blood all the time and every donation helps someone. “Your donation is going to a good cause” said Reddy.
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