Mum of Northampton's GI Joey hoping her brave boy can be found a 100 per cent donor match today

The mum of a brave Northampton boy with a rare blood disorder is holding one last bid to find a 100 per cent match bone marrow donor for her son today, before he undergoes a crucial transplant.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Aug 2016, 06:00 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 19:29 BST
The family of Joey Ziadi have been desperately seeking a stem cell donor for more than two years. A partial match has been found but they desperately want to find a 100 per cent match now.The family of Joey Ziadi have been desperately seeking a stem cell donor for more than two years. A partial match has been found but they desperately want to find a 100 per cent match now.
The family of Joey Ziadi have been desperately seeking a stem cell donor for more than two years. A partial match has been found but they desperately want to find a 100 per cent match now.

Two-year-old Joey Ziaidi - who became known as GI Joey after a massive campaign was launched to find him a donor - has Diamond-Blackfan anaemia (DBA), a blood condition that affects only 800 people in the world.

DBA patients fail to produce red blood cells properly and Joey’s parents Kaisha Morris, 37, and Andrew Ziadi, aged 36, were told he would need a bone marrow transplant to give him the best chance of survival.

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Last month they received the incredible news a 95 per cent match had been found for Joey and he is due to undergo a transplant in around four months time.

Kaisha Morris, pictured with daughter Isabella and son Joey Ziadi, who has a rare blood condition.Kaisha Morris, pictured with daughter Isabella and son Joey Ziadi, who has a rare blood condition.
Kaisha Morris, pictured with daughter Isabella and son Joey Ziadi, who has a rare blood condition.

But the family are not giving up their efforts with Anthony Nolan charity, which keeps a register of thousands of potential donors worldwide.

Today they will be holding another Anthony Nolan registration drive at Franklin Gardens, in Weedon Road, because there is still a chance a 100 per cent match could be found.

She said: “That 100 per cent match would give us a two or three per cent extra chance of survival.

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“So I’m doing another drive as a last chance really, one last go as Joey’s mum to find a perfect match before the transplant.”

Kaisha Morris, pictured with daughter Isabella and son Joey Ziadi, who has a rare blood condition.Kaisha Morris, pictured with daughter Isabella and son Joey Ziadi, who has a rare blood condition.
Kaisha Morris, pictured with daughter Isabella and son Joey Ziadi, who has a rare blood condition.

The donor drive will take place between noon and 6pm in the Saints Study Centre at Franklin Gardens.

On the day, people who want to join up will be asked to complete an application form, give a brief medical history and spit into a tube.

People can sign up as long as they are between the ages of 16 and 30, weigh at least 55kg and are in good health.

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Anthony Nolan particularly needs young men to sign up, as they are most likely to be asked to donate, yet make up just 15% of the donor register.

If anyone is found to be a match, Ms Morris says they should not worry, as the following procedure is simple and painless.

She added: “Anyone that comes down, you never know, you could be a 100 per cent match for Joey.

“Come and find us (today) it will only take five minutes of your time and you could be a lifesaver.”

Related topics:NorthamptonAnthony Nolan