A community ‘fun day’ with a bouncy castle and face-painting is taking place in Walworth this Saturday to raise money for a seven-year old girl as she undergoes a bone marrow transplant.
Zainab Bah often suffers bouts of “unbearable pain”, she can’t do PE lessons and she has never been on holiday. But thanks to a bone-marrow transplant by none other then her brave brother Abdurraheem the family hope that is all about to change.
He is just nine-year-old and the gift he is giving his little sister has touched the heart of neighbours who want to fundraise for the family as they battle to give Zainab a proper childhood free from pain.
The event is being held at Barlow and Congreve TRA Hall this Saturday May 17 at 1.30pm, and there will be plenty of activities and games on offer, including a bouncy castle, face-painting and slime-making, as well as plenty of hot and cold refreshments.
Zainab Bah, who attends English Martyr’s Primary School in Walworth and will turn eight this November, was born with sickle cell disease – an inherited blood disorder which prevents oxygen from getting to tissues and organs around the body.
Her mother Raihanatu hopes that, once the transplant is complete, Zainab will finally be free of the illness and able to live like her peers.
“[The transplant] is going to help her get better and have a better life” she said.
“She’s been so sick since she was born, she has had so many surgeries. And now with this transplant if everything goes well she will be free from sickle cell disease.”
Zainab often suffers bouts of “unbearable pain”, her mum continued. “She has to be on a lot of painkillers, she needs to be on oxygen therapy a lot.
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“She’s always tired – she can’t swim, she can’t do PE lessons and she has never been on holiday.”
Last year, Zainab had a particularly serious health scare. She had to spend three months in hospital, and ultimately lost her spleen.
It was then that the family were first told about the bone marrow transplant, which involves infusing healthy blood cells to replace bone marrow that is not working.
The marrow is being donated by Zainab’s nine-year old brother, Abdurraheem, and the treatment has already started, with Zainab currently in the middle of chemotherapy. The whole operation will last a year in total.
Donations can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/barlowandcongreve-tra-for-zainab
