A Ghanaian man has been denied a UK visa to enable him travel to Birmingham to save his dying sister.
Joseph Kordie lives in Ghana but wants to travel to the UK to donate his bone marrow for her sister, Shirley.
Shirley’s sickness
Shirley is running out of time to live after she was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer.
Shirley Kordie, 33, has hypoplastic MDS. Doctors say she will die if she doesn’t get a life-saving transplant.
Why Joseph was denied visa
The UK home office says Joseph whose bone marrow matches that of his sister doesn’t have enough money to obtain visa.
Shirley is quoted by the UK media as saying that her “life is in danger – I need to get my life back for my son.
I have my little boy, and I want to live for him.”
Running out of time
Doctors say there is no time left to save Shirley.
A campaign has been launched to help save Shirley’s life.
Medical charity, Anthony Nolan and the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, are spearheading this campaign.
Shirley is currently at the Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she is receiving treatment.
Petition to save Shirley
Over 10,000 signatures have been secured for a petition urging the UK government to grant Joseph a visa.
UK media reports that the Home Office says it is ‘urgently reviewing’ Joseph’s case.
Anthony Nolan spokeswoman Amelia Chong is quoted saying Shirley’s “brother is a perfect 10 out of 10 match for her.
“We have reviewed all those on the donor list and he is not only the perfect match, he is the only match. All Joseph needs is a temporary visa to undergo the procedure.”
The UK has strict visa requirements meant to control the number of foreigners that visit the country.
Source: Africafeeds.com
