A Canadian woman battling a rare blood cancer is urgently appealing for a stem cell donor, as her family launches an international search for a lifesaving match.
Daphne Goldberg, a mother of three and grandmother of four, was diagnosed in May 2025 with Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN). Her only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, but, so far, no match has been found.
Daphne’s son, AJ, described her as a woman who has spent decades putting others first. “She's the one who hosts every family gathering and shows up first when someone needs help. She's spent her life putting others before herself. Now, she needs someone to show up for her,” he said.
Despite testing immediate family members, including her children and brother, no suitable donor has been identified.
Campaigners say the search is particularly urgent because Daphne is of Jewish heritage, meaning a match is statistically more likely to come from someone with a similar genetic background. Finding compatible donors can be especially challenging for patients from under-represented communities on global registries, according to transplant data and registry studies.
The appeal is being supported by DKMS – an international charity combating blood cancer and blood disorders – which is encouraging people aged 16 to 55 and in general good health to register. Signing up involves a cheek swab that can be completed at home using a free kit ordered online.
A series of “swabbing events” are also being held on April 26 in London, Manchester and Leeds for potential donors, in conjunction with the Sue Harris Trust. Details are available on this link.
“If someone has a blood cancer, the only chance of saving their life could be a stem cell transplant,” organisers said. “But those stem cells have to come from someone with a matching tissue type, which if you are Jewish, like Daphne, is far more likely to be from someone who is also Jewish.”
Urging the public to share Daphne’s story widely in the hope that a matching donor can be found in time, organisers say the process is quick and painless and involves a cotton swab brushed inside the mouth to determine tissue type.
For more information about becoming a potential donor for Daphne and attending a “swabbing event” on Sunday April 26 in the UK, cick here or go to: sueharristrust.org/daphne
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