Sam Armytage shares desperate plea after devastating news
Sam Armytage, the former host of Sunrise, has issued an urgent plea after the heart-breaking news that a close family friend will need a stem-cell donor immediately.
Maggie Banyard, who is only 14, from the Illawarra region of NSW, was diagnosed with leukaemia after suffering from a sore throat and a headache.
At first, doctors thought it was only tonsillitis but further testing went on to discover the youngster has cancer.
“We told Maggie she had leukaemia, but she didn’t really understand,” her mum Chantal told the Sunday Telegraph.
“Then we said; ‘Maggie you have blood cancer’. She burst into tears and our whole world fell apart.”
Maggie has been diagnosed with acute myelod leukaemia (AML) which is high-risk and affects the blood and bone barrow. To survive Maggie now needs a bone-marrow transplant.
“She needs a stem cell match. You can directly help with the search with a simple cheek swab - the kit comes in the post and you do it all from home!” a message on the Match4Maggie Instagram page reads.
“Everyone should do this - even if your stem cells aren’t a match for Maggie, they could still help save someone else.“These tests are especially useful if you are under the age of 30 and the test couldn’t be easier for you to do. If you then are a match to someone, to help, all you would need to do is donate some blood.”
Armytage has shared her own plea on Instagram, saying: “ATTENTION‼️ all you good people of the Illawarra (& beyond!) ‼️ Maggie Banyard is a family friend of ours.. she’s a beautiful 14 year old girl - diagnosed with a bloody horrible form of leukaemia”.
“I know you’ve all got lots on atm but please help spread the word: the family is looking for a suitable stem cell donor to help save Maggie’s life.”
You can find the Match4Maggie Instagram page here.
Image: Instagram