Namazzi needs Shs250m for a bone marrow transplant
Desire Namazzi has undergone two phases of chemotherapy but now urgently needs a bone marrow transplant. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the lymphoid line of blood cells characterised by the development of large numbers of immature lymphocytes. Symptoms may include feeling tired, pale skin colour, fever, easy bleeding or bruising, enlarged lymph nodes, or bone pain.
Desire Namazzi suffers acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The once vibrant 20-year-old is a second year student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in real estate business management at Makerere University Business School, Namazzi needs a bone marrow transplant to help her recover from the leukemia.
In March this year, she started suffering from fatigue, nausea and night sweats.
Within a few days, these symptoms got worse.
“She started vomiting so I took her to a clinic and the doctors said she had a bacterial infection. Upon taking the medicine, there was no relief,” Lydia Batuuka, her mother says.
When she sought a second opinion from another clinic, she got the same diagnosis until she went to Platinum Hospital where she had a full body checkup and the results showed that her blood had some malignancies.
Ms Batuuka says, “The doctors there advised that she does a bone marrow biopsy. At LMK Laboratories, Namazzi was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.”
On May 19, she started on chemotherapy under the Baylor Project and was on treatment for a month.
“Namazzi had been strong all through the time she was receiving the treatment until the review results showed that the chemotherapy did not have any effect on the cancer cells. They were still as many as they were in the start. She has become disheartened and frail,” her mother says.
As a new treatment plan, the doctors put her on the second line of chemotherapy which is stronger.
She is supposed to be on this treatment for a period of two months.
“The second phase of treatment is really affecting her so badly. She is transfused three times a week, she vomits and her immunity is very low.,” her mother says.
“She has received the stronger chemotherapy for three weeks but the doctor says that we must take her to India for a bone marrow transplant which will help to replace the unhealthy blood forming cells with healthy ones and give her complete healing.”
The transplant costs $70,000 (Shs250m) in India.
“Namazzi urgently needs the bone marrow transplants in the next five weeks but we cannot afford the required Shs250m. I therefore appeal to friends, readers and the general public to help contribute towards her treatment,” she pleads.
For any help, please send mobile money on 0772635272 or 0702635272 Lydia Batuuka, 0706441023 Tracy Kambejja or 0772447963 Linda Nabitaka or ABSA Entebbe Kitoro account no. 6007038893 Kambejja Tracy Samantha.
