Florida

Family Pleads For Rare Blood Donors For 2-Year-Old Battling Cancer

A 2-year-old battling cancer needs the public’s help.

Her family is desperately looking for blood donors for their daughter who has a rare blood type. And her parents are not a match.

Zainab Mughal suffers from neuroblastoma, a cancer usually found in small glands on top of the kidneys. Her struggle is hard for her parents and family to watch.

“She’s my love, my everything, my only child,” said Mariam Mehmood, Zainab’s mother. “She means everything to us. She is the princess of the family. Everyone loves her.”

Doctors say in order for her to survive the cancer treatments she needs, she requires multiple blood transfusions. The problem is that her blood type is very rare.

“In order to find a few units for the little girl, we need to test a very specific population,” said Nancy Benitez, a laboratory director.

Medical experts said only people of Pakistani, Indian or Iranian decent could possibly be a match and even then, it’s still a challenge.

“The possibility of us finding a compatible donor for this little girl within the right ethnic group they want to screen is less than four percent,” said Frieda Bright, a laboratory manager.

Her blood donors must have a blood type of A or B. But they also must be missing the Indian B antigen.

Doctors say if the child receives blood with that antigen, her body will reject it.

OneBlood, a Florida-based non-profit is conducting a worldwide search for donors.

“We deeply appreciate those willing to help and we hope that we find a match for her,” said Raheel Mughal, Zainab’s father.

Doctors say without the blood, the little girl has no hope.

“The blood is not going to cure, but the blood is very, very, very important to support her while she undergoes the treatment for this particular cancer,” said Bright.

OneBlood says 1,000 donors have been tested since September and only three matches were found so far. They need at least seven to 10 matches.

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