Over 130 sign up to help leukaemia sufferer Imogin Appiah....but!

As I reported a few weeks ago, a young girl called Imogin Appiah was desperately looking for a potential bone marrow donor to help her fight her leukaemia.Sadly, after a lot of effort was put in by the ACLT, the turn out was not as good as had been hoped :-(.

This was taken from the ACLT website:

25 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME COULD GIVE IMOGIN A LIFE TIME.

Please read on...

My daughter Imogin Appiah is a wonderful intelligent 6 year old. She can be a handful at times but she is my world. One can only imagine my shock when I received the terrifying news that my baby was not well during my lunch break at work.
I had been working as a counter manager for a cosmetic company. That day Imogin was with her grandmother September 18th 2006, a double shock for two people in the space of only a few minutes.
Entering Mayday hospital, I began to tremble uncontrollably but I soldiered on only to have my worst fears confirmed. My beautiful daughter had ALL Acute, Lymphoblastic, Leukaemia). I asked if it was bad news. Yes it is Sheila; however it is treatable, yes most certainly. Those words became my strength and my hope.
From this day Imogin started a two and a half year course of chemotherapy and I was her full time carer. In October 2008 Imogin finished her treatment we celebrated with a trip to Disneyland Paris with the magical taxi tours. Amazingly, 250 children, the London Ambulance Service, the Fire Brigade, the British Police, and the French Police all helped to make it an unforgettable weekend.
The love that I have for my daughter is incredibly deep, she means the world to me I honour her and look upon her with the greatest of respect. She is and always will be a fighter.My day to day routine is based on her survival, she is strong, we are strong and we have reached out for support and received support from fantastic people.
I am writing this account from St. Georges hospital in Tooting, South London.
We came here on Tuesday 17th February because Imogin has unfortunately relapsed and will need a bone marrow transplant in the near future.
But we will continue with our hope, strength and continued determination to find her a match.

Words Written by Shelia Appiah, Imogin’s Mum.

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But the following message from Beverley De-Gale really sums up what actually happened on 30th April at the ACLT drive at Imogin's school, Elmwood Infant in Croydon

"DISAPPOINTMENT!

That is the only word I can use to express my feelings about the public turnout for 6 year old Imogin Appiah at yesterdays bone marrow appeal in her name.
My name is Beverley De-Gale; Co-founder of the ACLT Charity. Yesterday's drive was well publicised via the Newspaper Media (local and national), Radio, ITV London Tonight news, Facebook, ACLT Website etc. etc.
Please can anyone explain to me why only 42 people (who were mostly White and Asian) actually took 30 minutes out of their schedules to watch a short presentation, to fill in an application form and to then give a small sample of blood to place themselves on the bone marrow register?
Imogin's school is mostly made up of Black and Asian pupils but the community let her down! We (ACLT) just don't get it! SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN!!"

So come on folks.If you are Afro Caribbean,West Indian or a member of any other ethnic groups,please,please spare half an hour of your time to try and save Imogin.

You can come to the Donor Session's on the 23rd (Newark) or 25th (Kings Mill), and join the Anthony Nolan Register if you wish...the end product is still the same.....you may just have the chance to save someones life.

"You may be just one person in this world...but you may mean the world to just one person"

We wish all the best to Imogin and her family and fingers crossed that the fantastic work being carried out by the ACLT will result in a donor being found for this brave kid :-)