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DESPERATE SEARCH FOR POLYNESIAN DONORS
Waikato Times
30 May 2005
MARTIN TIFFANY
Te Waiora Waetford's survival lies in his ethnicity.
Mr Waetford, who turns 21 on Wednesday, is part Cook Island Maori and part New Zealand Maori and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in December 2002.
He is desperately seeking a suitable bone marrow donor but as blood tissue type is directly related to a person's race that person needs to be a Polynesian.
There is a shortage of Polynesians on the New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry and none of his family members have provided a match.
Registry executive officer Raewyn Fisher said only 6000 Polynesians were on the registry and given that only one donor in 1000 will be a match they wanted to enrol more as donors.
A patient with European ancestry can usually find a fully matched donor from among the 7.5 million European donors worldwide.
Hamilton woman Susan Hayworth, whose son Ross died of leukemia last September, is trying to kick-start a campaign to encourage Polynesian bone marrow donors and in the process hopefully find a match for Mr Waetford.
"It's not much harder than giving blood and will give those with leukemia a chance," Mrs Hayworth said.
Ross Hayworth received stem cells in bone marrow from his sister Fiona as a last attempt to cure him but the transplant didn't work.
Fiona Hayworth has continued volunteer cancer work and is a co-presenter -- along with Mr Waetford -- on CanTeeners on Air, a half-hour show on community radio each week.
Mrs Hayworth said the two had grown very close in their fight against a common "enemy".
Mr Waetford, a former Melville High School head boy, is in Waikato Hospital undergoing chemotherapy.
He is hopeful a suitable donor will be found.
"Physically, it (the treatment) takes it out of me but I have to keep my spirit up and be positive that I will get better," he said.
Donors must be 18 to 50 years old, and in good health, willing to fill in the blood donor declaration form at the NZ Blood Service, and to answer some questions about their medical history, willing to give a unit of blood, and to have a blood test to determine their tissue type.
* Waikato people interested in becoming a bone marrow donor can phone 0800 882-233 or go to the New Zealand Blood Service at Gate 5 at the Waikato Hospital.
They must specify that they wish to be placed on the bone marrow registry.
They cannot donate for a specific patient and must join the registry for all patients.
CAPTION:
DONOR NEEDED: Susan Hayworth is trying to find a bone marrow donor for Te Waiora Waetford. PICTURE: Kelly Schicker
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