April 22, 2024
Māori missing from marrow donation list
A researcher looking at Māori blood cancer says per capita, the number of Māori registered as donors is significantly lower than non-Māori.
Keri Topperwien says when her son Chace died in 2012 from leukaemia in 2012 there were only 8000 Māori and Pasifika on the bone marrow donor register – and there was no suitable match.
Ms Topperwein went on to co-found the Dream Chaser Foundation to support children and their families facing childhood cancer, and in 2022 she won a grant to undertake kaupapa Māori research on ways to increase the number of bone marrow donors in Aotearoa.
While some Māori give cultural values as the reason for not donating, in most cases she believes it’s just lack of awareness of its importance.
“At the heart of it is whānau, whakapapa, manaaki, the ultimate koha which is a phrase that is commonly associated with bone marrow because that’s what it is it’s giving people a shot at life,” Ms Topperwein says.
Māori donations and a Māori led solution are critical for bone marrow treatment because genetic markers are needed to ensure 100 percent transplant compatibility.
A Rotorua 9-year old, Te Waarakihi Hooper Felise, is currently undergoing immune therapy for aplastic anaemia while he waits for a suitable marrow donation.
Keri Topperwein says bone marrow treatment is harder because of genetic markers that are needed for 100 percent transplant compatibility, which makes it so important for Māori donations as a Māori led solution.