A mother has launched a desperate appeal for stem cell donors to save her two young sons, who are battling a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder.
Marcela Zberea hopes a transplant will offer Cezar, two, and David Nica, 10 months, “a chance at a normal life”.
Both boys have been diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS), a severe condition that profoundly compromises the body’s ability to fight infection.
Symptoms include easy bruising, eczema, bloody diarrhoea, and prolonged bleeding from minor injuries. The disorder almost exclusively affects boys, with only around three in every million worldwide, due to its genetic link to the X chromosome.
Cezar was just weeks old when he was hospitalised with low blood platelet counts, leading to extensive testing. The devastating diagnosis of WAS for both brothers came during the same appointment, shortly after Ms Zberea, 29, had given birth to David.
“It was so much to take,” Ms Zberea recounted. “They were both diagnosed during the same appointment. I had just given birth and David was a newborn in my lap. The doctors told us that a stem cell transplant is their only chance.”
Currently, the boys lead “very restricted lives”, their mother explained, too vulnerable to attend playgroups or interact with other children. Neither Ms Zberea nor their father, Stelian Dorin Nica, 36, are a match for their sons.
The west London family is now collaborating with the stem cell charity DKMS, urging the public to register as potential donors, with a particular call for those of Eastern European heritage.
“I just hope my boys get the chance to live long, happy lives,” Ms Zberea said. “Right now, their lives are very restricted and they don’t get to be like normal children. They are too vulnerable to go to playgroup, or have fun with other kids. A stem cell transplant could give them a chance at a normal life.”
She added: “We are encouraging everyone to register as a stem cell donor, as anyone could be a match. You could save a life – maybe even one of our boys.”
Bronagh Hughes, a spokeswoman for DKMS, underscored the urgency of the appeal.
“For Cezar, David and so many other patients, the right stranger signing up to the register could be their only hope,” she stated. “It takes just a few minutes to register, but it could mean a lifetime for someone else.
“We urgently need more people to come forward, to help give these two young brothers, and others diagnosed with blood cancers or disorders, the future they deserve.”
