An Atlantis family desperately needs help to save the life of their 14-month-old cancer-fighting baby girl.
Little Gracelyn “Gracey” Green was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) – a rare cancer of the blood that affects young children – and her only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant.
Her mother Shanique Green, 20, died in a fire that engulfed their entire home, but bravely managed to save Gracey.
Shanique, her ouma Susan Green, 66, and her uncle David Green, 42, all perished in the tragedy in Geranium Crescent, Protea Park, on 4 June 2021.
Shanique’s sister, Lizel Solomons, says the mom handed Gracey to a bystander and went back to save her ouma but never made it out alive.
Lizel, who is now taking care of Gracey, says her symptoms first appeared in July last year when she noticed her unusually swollen tummy.
“After a GP examined her, an ambulance was dispatched, and we were rushed to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. That’s when I knew something was terribly wrong.”
A series of tests showed that Gracey had an enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes, which eventually led to a JMML diagnosis.
Despite three blocks of chemotherapy treatment, there hasn’t been an improvement.
Several stem cell donor drives have been held to find a suitable donor but no match has been found yet.
The SA Bone Marrow Registry urges people of colour to get tested for a life-saving match.
Although Gracey’s chance of finding a donor is about 1 in 100 000, everyone remains hopeful, says Lizel, adding that Gracey remains her bubbly self despite being in pain.
“She has pain but the way she handles it is amazing, she never shows suffering.
“My plea is to everyone in our community to help find a donor for our little angel.
“There’s a match waiting for Gracey, but time is running out.
“We need every single person who can, to register.
“If anyone deserves a second chance, Gracey does.”
To register, go to sabmr.co.za.
All it takes is a cheek swab to test if you’re a possible match – all free of charge.