Cancer survivor wants to thank life-saving donor
A young cancer survivor who turned to Facebook in a last-ditch bid to find a donor wants to meet and thank the little boy who saved her life.
Pamela Bou Sejean searched family, friends and international registers for a compatible stem cell donor to keep her alive, but could not find one.
Out of desperation, the 27-year-old Geelong woman took to social networking sites imploring people to come forward to be blood tested for a possible bone marrow match.
After a two-year nightmare, Pamela has now beaten an aggressive form of Hodgkin Lymphoma thanks to precious cord blood taken from a child's umbilical cord ten years ago.
In July, Pamela, who is originally from Lebanon, underwent a successful bone marrow transplant, after failed stem cell treatment and several rounds of chemotherapy.
Doctors used stem cells taken from two babies' cord blood - one in Spain and one in the US - but it was the Spanish donation that her body accepted.
Pamela said she would one day like to meet her life-saving donor and his family to say thank you.
"There's a little ten-year-old boy running around in Spain, and he probably doesn't really know what he's done for me," Pamela told Seven News.
"I want to thank his mother who thought ten years ago to donate that cord and not throw it out.
"I'd love to get in contact with them one day and say thank you.
"I would let him know he's a little hero."
Pamela's search for a compatible bone marrow donor went viral on Facebook in March.
Her brother Matt took to Facebook and set up the group 'How you can help cure Pamela'.
There he talked about his sister's battle with the disease and details how you can be tested for a possible blood stem cell match.
The Facebook group attracted more than 4,260 followers, and since Pamela began making her pleas enquiries to Victoria's Red Cross Blood Service about joining the register tripled.
Her global crusade even captured the attention of the Lebanese President who met with Pamela during a visit to Australia before the transplant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Pamela will continue post transplant treatments for some time, but dreams of five years down the track when technically she'll be cured.
"It's amazing how things work and how we're all here to help each other," she said.
"I just keep praying for continued good health," Pamela added. "It's the most important thing... you take it for granted until it's taken away from you."
The former marketing manager was diagnosed with the disease a few weeks before her 25th birthday.
