The family of a two-year-old girl from Croydon are appealing for any potential donor to help her lead a normal life that is currently threatened by a rare immunodeficiency disease.

Two-year-old Shahera Khan from Croydon was recently been diagnosed with a very rare immunodeficiency disease that means her immune system is unable to produce enough white blood cells making her susceptible to infections.

“Shahera is currently taking medication to protect her against serious bacterial infections and she has immunoglobulin transfusions every week,” her mum, Amina, said.

Your Local Guardian: Two-year-old Shahera, who urgently needs a stem cell donor to combat a rare immunodeficiency condition. Two-year-old Shahera, who urgently needs a stem cell donor to combat a rare immunodeficiency condition.

“At the moment she is doing okay but she’s getting side effects from the medication. Shahera is wonderful. She touches everybody she meets; from family and friends to the people she meets in the hospital.”

To help out Shahera, a generous stranger must be willing to donate their stem cells to give her a second chance of life.

Doctors will give her the new, healthy stem cells via the bloodstream, where they begin to grow and create healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Shahera however needs a stem cell donor and, with nobody in her family a genetic match, the family are working with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of the stem cell donor register.

Currently patients, like Shahera from a BAME background have only a 20 per cent chance of finding the best possible stem cell donor match, compared to 69 per cent for people with white, European heritage.

“We need to find Shahera a donor as soon as possible,” Amina said.

“We want to raise awareness in the Asian, and particularly Bangladeshi, community so people come forward - not only to help Shahera but for anyone who needs a donor....They’ve given us a couple of months to find a donor and suggested spring or summer next year for the transplant.

To see if you can help, click here.