Singer Peter Andre is backing a vital campaign that could save the life of a family member as they continue their gruelling battle with cancer
Peter Andre is backing a campaign which could save the life of a relative. Harrow man Harish – who is the father of Peter Andre’s sister-in-law, Sunny Andrea- is in a desperate search for a stranger who could save his life.
The 72-year-old has been diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening blood cancer – and needs a stem cell transplant, so he can have a second chance at life. That Harish is of Indian heritage means it is even harder for him to find an eligible donor.
Sunny’s campaign has been supported by their wider family circle, including her famous brother-in-law, Peter, who has shared the urgent appeal on his social media.
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Alongside the caption, “Big thank you to my bro in law! Please repost, register below & let’s help save my beautiful daddy”, an emotional Peter urged people across the world to get in touch – especially those of south asian heritage.
He said, “This is for my sister-in-law Sunny’s dad. Please, if you can, spread this on – somebody might see it and go, actually that’s me. And you could help save a life. Thank you very much in advance.”
Harish’s daughter, Sunny, who has been married to Peter’s older brother, Danny since 2014, is on a desperate hunt alongside blood cancer charity, DKMS, to get more people on the stem cell donor register, to increase her dad’s odds of finding a suitable match
A much-loved dad and grandad who loves to cook for his friends and family, Harish is celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary this week – but what should have been a time of happy family celebrations has also become a battle for survival.
Unfortunately, after going for blood tests last year after feeling unusually tired, Harish received the devastating diagnosis that he has high-risk MDS, a rare form of blood cancer.
Sunny says, “It’s devastating. My dad is my best friend – the kindest man with the heart of gold who always seems to have time for everybody else and simply adores his family and his grandkids.
“One day, we were planning family dinners, trips, retirement, and the next, we were handed a leaflet and told to process the fact that he has cancer.” Now, Sunny is leading an urgent campaign with blood cancer charity DKMS to search for a stem cell donor who could give her dad – or others like him – a second chance at life. “It just seems so unfair. My dad is fighting blood cancer. And because he’s Indian, he has less chance of finding a matching donor that could save his life.”
Stem cells are the building blocks which allow the body to regenerate and heal. For many patients with blood cancer like Harish, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor could be their only opportunity for recovery.
However, only one in three patients will find a match in their family. Most patients will rely on finding a match from a complete stranger who has signed up to the stem cell donor register, but just 7% of the eligible population in the UK are signed up.
“It’s hard to feel so helpless,” says Sunny. “I’d do anything for him. I’m being tested as a potential donor, but the odds I’ll be eligible are not very high. My nine year old son has been asking if he can be the donor; he just loves his grandad so much, which has been breaking my heart. The hardest part is knowing medicine isn’t enough. He needs one matching stranger to say yes.”
Peter’s brother, Danny, told the Mirror, “Harish is my father in law, a wonderful, loving caring man who always puts everyone else before himself, he dotes on his family, especially our children, his grand kids, we even named our son after him. it is such a cold and lonely feeling when you have a loved one going through this. Please help.”
Harish’s family is now working with DKMS to encourage more people to register as potential stem cell donors, and they are hoping to find a match for him or other patients like him who need a stem cell transplant.
Signing up is a simple process, involving just a few health questions, and some painless cheek swabs – you can order a free swab kit from the DKMS website, that can be posted to your home. Harish’s family are particularly encouraging people of South Asian heritage to join the stem cell donor register, but anyone aged 17-55 and in general good health can sign up.
Most people will not be a match, but if you are, in nine out of ten cases, donating your stem cells doesn’t require surgery. It can be done by a quick, easy outpatient process, which is similar to donating blood platelets.
DKMS spokesperson Bronagh Hughes, says, “For Harish and patients like him, a total stranger joining the register could give them their lives back. The process is very simple; it’s so easy to give someone a second chance. Joining the register only requires a quick health questionnaire and a few simple and painless mouth swabs.
“It takes ten minutes of your time, but you could be the match that someone is waiting for. If you are matched to a patient and called up to donate, DKMS will be there to support you through the whole journey.”
“We just need the right person to join the register, and the right person could be you,” says Sunny. “People joining the register in support of my dad would mean everything to us, and it could even save a life.”
Every 14 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer, the third most common cause of cancer death in the UK. At any one time, there are around 2,000 people in the UK in need of a stem cell transplant Sadly, every year, nearly 13,000 people die from blood cancer in Britain.
To find out more, or to order your swab kit, visit dkms.org.uk.
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