One North West family is desperately seeking a bone marrow donor for their 8-year-old son as he battles a life-threatening blood disorder.

The odds of finding a donor for Rebaone are one in 100,000 (file photo)

In April 2013, 8-year-old Rebaone Nkuyagae from Klerksdorp was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, a blood disorder in which a patients bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells.

Unfortunately, there is no hospital that can treat Rebaone in Klerksdorp, so he and his family have to travel 170 km to the Donald Gordon Medical Centre in Johannesburg every second week for treatment.

Rebaone and his mother, Lerato, usually make the trip by bus with support from the non-profit Wings and Wishes, which provides financial support to transport critically-ill children between their homes and care facilities.

For Lerato, dealing with Rebaones illness means trying to keep him safe at home and on the playground. With a condition that makes it difficult for his body to stop the bleeding if he gets cut, Rebaone has had to stay off the sports field.

While it had been difficult, Lerato said she stays positive.

I have to ensure he does not play contact sports as he shouldnt get any cuts or be pinched, Lerato told OurHealth. Its hard for me, but I will always stay positive.

Rebaone is receiving platelets, which help blood clot, and blood transfusions regularly, but his doctors have informed Lerato that he will need a bone marrow transplant in the near future.

His family is desperately hoping to find a suitable donor but the odds of finding a match are one in 100,000. A donor is most likely to be found within a patients ethnic group, as the markers that are tested when searching for a match are genetically inherited

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Klerksdorp boy seeks bone marrow donor

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