Jewish Museum hosts stem cell donor drive in bid to help to save woman’s life

More than 80 people were- signed up as potential stem cell donors at the Jewish Museum on Sunday, to try to save a young woman’s life.

The drive was held in a bid to find a matching donor for 24-year old Lara Casalotti from Belsize Park, who has been diagnosed with aggressive leukaemia before the New Year.

Lara urgently needs a donor, but her mixed-race background – with Chinese-Thai and Italian parents – makes one more difficult to find.

Giselle Green, a member of South Hampstead Synagogue and family friend, who helped organise the event, said:  “There’s an urgent need to diversify stem cell donor registries, so all ethnic minorities – including Jewish people – need to come forward to help their communities.

Green added that doctors have said Lara’s best chance of finding a donor is among those who are mixed race or Asian heritage. “I would urge people who fit that bill to come and get tested too. It’s great that the Jewish Museum hosted this donor drive “

The campaign to find a match for Lara, an ex-South Hampstead High School pupil, have become international, attracting the support of the prime minister, author JK Rowling, actor Mark Wahlberg, footballer Gareth Bale and TV personality Stephen Fry.

You can order a kit online and do the test at home: ‎https://www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk/en/register-now

More details about Lara and the match4lara campaign –  https://www.match4lara.com