Danny Whyte: His story, in his own words

Before his sad passing, Danny wrote about his battle against leukemia on his website, www.dwib.org, asking for help

Between February and early April 2004, I experienced a series of temperatures all of which were treated as malaria by my doctor in Accra, Ghana. It was during the forth encounter that I decided to get a second opinion from another doctor. Full blood tests were carried out on me and I was referred to a Haematologist for further tests. After a thorough examination and some more blood tests, I was told that I had Leukaemia and was again referred to the Haematology Department at Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.

I had a bone marrow test done and about three days later I was called in to come and meet with my doctor for the results. I was told that the marrow test confirmed that I indeed had Leukaemia.

It was then explained to me that I had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia -AML), and the urgency in starting treatment soonest. I had very little time and I had to make some very crucial decisions.

I had only left the UK less than a year before deciding to fly back to the UK for treatment. Within a week I had organised for everything to be taken care of, with the most difficult one being my work. I arrived in London on the 23rd of April 2004 and was admitted the very next day into Kings College Hospital. Numerous blood and marrow tests were done so as to determine the course of chemotherapy to administer and over how long the whole treatment would take. To my surprise, I was told it would be anything up to six months or more.

I spent 8 months at Kings College Hospital, London as an inpatient and had four courses of Chemotherapy during this time. In early December 2004, I was discharged and remained in the UK as an outpatient for a further 2 months. I then returned to Ghana at the end of January 2005, having been given the all clear to start Danny Whyte, Ivor Burford Leukaemia Trust (DWIB), a charity that aims at setting up a bone marrow register for people of African Origin and Mixed Race.

I then relapsed on 29th June 2005 and had to be admitted again for another 5 months.

I came in to Kings College Hospital for a routine check up on the 5th of February 2007 and was informed that I had relapsed.

Unfortunately, my greatest fear has come true. This means that I have to be re-admitted into hospital and undergo another course of chemotherapy and this time, I will need a bone marrow transplant. For a match to be found for me, I need people like you to act now and get tested.

You can save my life and others who also need a match.

People think that to donate marrow means to undergo major surgery. That is not the case. All that is needed from a person to start the process is a teaspoon full of blood to test for a tissue match.

I am conscious that my first concern should be towards my own recovery; but considering the difficulty in finding matching bone marrow donors and having regard to the fact that all international bone marrow registers are overwhelmingly in favour of Caucasians, I find my focus on what happens when I have had my cure.

I will feel fine, but would I feel the same to go about my business with little or no care for others who might be in my present position now or in future?

Should Black and mixed race people remain without help when afflicted? I find the answers in the aims and objectives of the Danny Whyte and Ivor Burford Leukaemia (DWIB) Trust.

My motivation to set up a Bone Marrow Register for Africans and Mixed Race is derived from my personal experience and the fact that existing bone marrow registers provide a match for 1 in 5 Caucasians but 1 match in 100,000 black people.