Croatian-Australian leukaemia patient looking for a blood stem cell donor
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Daniela Vladislavic
Croatian-Australian Daniela Vladislavic is a seasoned registered nurse from Sydney, specialising in mental health care for over 20 years. Her compassion, leadership and mentoring skills have helped shape the future of mental health nursing in Australia.
Most recently, Daniela has managed the suicide prevention team, ‘Towards Zero’, at the South Western Sydney Local Health District.
After serving her community selflessly and for so long, Daniela is now the one in need of support.
In late May, she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. After a month of initial treatment, a rare chromosomal mutation has meant Daniela will be in and out of hospital until April next year.
A blood stem cell transplant is looking like the most likely path.
Daniela embraces life with warmth and enthusiasm, drawing strength from her personal pursuits and connections over the years.
She cherishes time with her loved ones, especially her husband, Brendan, her adoring nephews and her pets.
The diagnosis has served as a reminder to focus on the most important things in life.
“This journey has taught us the importance of seizing each day with gratitude and finding fulfillment in the simple pleasures of love, laughter, and family”.
Daniela’s community has come together in her support, asking anyone eligible to sign up to become a blood stem cell donor.
Finding a matching donor relies heavily on your ancestry.
As Daniela comes from a Croatian background, she will likely need to find a match from a donor with a similar Croatian background.
“We are calling on all people, but especially people from a Balkan background, to sign up to join their local registry. By joining the registry, you could become the lifesaving match for Daniela or someone like her,” the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry said.
Saving one’s life, why wouldn’t you do it? This is not just for me, it could be for others too. Join the drive to save a life”.
To sign up in Australia, go to: https://strengthtogive.org.au/donate4dani
The UK: https://www.anthonynolan.org/
All other countries: https://swabtheworld.com/en/become-a-donor
Key stats and messaging about Strength to Give from the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
Every 28 minutes someone in Australia is diagnosed with blood cancer, and for many a blood stem cell transplant from a complete stranger is their only hope.
Around 1,000 Aussie patients look for a donor every year – around half find their best match within their family. The rest need volunteer donors.
1,000 Australians urgently need a stem cell donation from someone just like you.
But our current pool of Australian volunteer donors only donate to around 80 Aussie patients each year. We desperately need more people to sign up!
Patients can only receive stem cells from a close genetic match (and usually, that means they share the same ethnicity). Only 21% of Australia’s blood stem cell donors are from an ethnically diverse background.
It’s easier than you think to donate stem cells. A few hours of your time can give a lifetime to someone else. All it takes is a simple cheek swab.
