Mum who survived IRA bomb and 9/11 needs to find stem cell donor or she will die

A mum is in a race against time to find a stem cell donor before her life is cut short by a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.

Meena Kumari-Sharma, 41, was diagnosed with leukaemia last year and is determined to fight it for the sake of her five-year-old twins, Mia and Krish.

But it’s not the first ordeal she’s had to overcome, having survived both the 1996 IRA Manchester bombing and 9/11.

She told Femail: ‘When I was young I worked in Debenhams in the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester, when it was bombed by the IRA.

‘Then when I was at university I did an internship on Wall Street and I passed through the World Trade Center on 9/11.

‘So I think I’m lucky to have survived both of those massive devastating incidents. Obviously there is a reason I am alive. Someone or something out there wants me in the world.’

Meena initially responded well to chemotherapy after her diagnosis, but a week later she was told she had acute myeloid leukaemia and would need a stem cell transplant.

The mother-of-two was forced to leave her children and husband at home in Hertfordshire and move to her mother’s house in Leicester for treatment.

Over Christmas, she became so ill she could not walk or talk, and could only see her children for two days over the festive period.

Meena is now desperate to find her perfect stem cell match after finding out none of her family are suitable donors.

But she has just a 20 per cent chance of finding a match – who will most likely be found in the Asian community – and she is using the social media tag #Match4Meena to spread her message.

The recruitment consultant is adamant she is meant to stay alive, and has until July to find a donor before it is too late.

Meena is now encouraging anyone to get tested to see if they are a potential donor.

She said: ‘It might not help me. I happen to have a very specific type of tissue and my stem cell match would be from someone of the same cultural background as me.

‘But even if no match is found for me, you could still save a life by becoming a potential stem cell donor.’

Anyone of any ethnicity is encouraged to send away for a free cheek swab testing kit as part of the first stage of donor screening – or attend a donor drive for a simple painless test, involving a cotton bud being rubbed on the inside of your mouth.

For more information please visit the DKMS and Anthony Nolan websites.