PROJECTS
LUKUMO CHIBILU -TO UNDERGO STEM CELL TRANSPLANT IN INDIA
Lukumo Chibilu an 11-year-old boy and Ntambo Chibilu a 9-year-old girl are siblings, who are both living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
As a result of their down times, they are frequently in and out of the hospital. I. e, admissions to hospital, outpatient visits and ongoing nursing care. This has gravely affected their regular attendance at school, and also their normal interaction with other children. Participating in routine childhood activities is at an absolute minimum, having an impact on their normal upbringing experience.
Impacting lives with your donations.
Lukumo and Ntambo are facing this possibility for a cure, Lukumo needs to find a 100% match bone marrow donor and Ntambo a 70% match donor.
The current nearest and most fitting location for the bone marrow transplant operations is in India. To this end, medical consultations with specialist doctors at the Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon India have already commenced.
When resources for at least one child, Lukumo are actualized, the children will travel accompanied by their mother. Another adult will go with them to return with the bone marrow donor after the transplant is successful. Estimations are that Lukumo and his mother will stay on in India for three months until he is stable enough to return to Zambia. Ntambo's procedure will follow after Lukumo''s medical procedure is expected to take longer due to half match.
“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” Psalm 118:17
NTAMBO YAANA CHIBILU - NEEDS STEM CELL TRANSPLANT
Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)
Medical science has made huge advancements, and it is now possible for SCD patients to receive cured as a result of transplanting of bone marrow cells or stem cells, is the only known cure for SCD. Stem cell transplant replaces the patient's bone marrow which produces hemoglobin S (sickle cell) or HBS, with healthy bone marrow which produces hemoglobin A (Adult) or HBA. The HBS usually only lasts about 20 days in the body instead of about 120 days for normal HBS. This is what causes anemia in SCD. Sickle cells to be abnormal and sticky and do not smoothly flow through veins causing pain mostly in the patient's joints.