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Sian Chathyoka was diagnosed with myelofibrosis and found only one donor in the worl. (Anthony Nolan via SWNS)<\/p>\n
By Filipa Gaspar<\/p>\n
A woman with a rare blood cancer<\/a> discovered there is only one person in the world who can save her life – who is now helping her.<\/p>\n Single mom-of-two Sian Chathyoka, 56, was diagnosed last year with myelofibrosis.<\/p>\n Sian then discovered there was one matching donor for her on the worldwide registry – in Germany.<\/p>\n Sian, from Swansea, Wales, is now encouraging more people to sign up as she prepares to have a stem cell transplant from a selfless stranger.<\/p>\n She said: “Since August, I’ve just been lying in bed because I’ve had no energy.<\/p>\n “I’ve had such a level of fatigue, I haven’t been able to do anything, and it’s been quite scary.<\/p>\n “I’m grateful that there is the possibility of a cure through a stem cell transplant.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I have realized throughout this process is that nobody knows about stem cell transplants.<\/p>\n “A lot of my friends didn\u2019t have a clue. That\u2019s why I want to raise awareness by sharing my story.<\/p>\n (Anthony Nolan via SWNS)<\/p>\n By Talker<\/p>\n “Health is wealth, and it is a luxury to be grateful for.<\/p>\n \u201cJust signing up to the register, you can literally save a life. I feel really emotional because that\u2019s as powerful as it is.”<\/p>\n Sian was experiencing extreme fatigue before tests revealed that she had an aggressive form of myelofibrosis.<\/p>\n Since the diagnosis she has been having weekly blood and platelets transfusions and she has been told that she will need to have a stem cell transplant from a matching donor to survive.<\/p>\n Before falling ill, Sian was very active, swimming in the sea in all weathers, managing the family business and caring for her two children aged 18 and 13.<\/p>\n Sian, who was a social worker for many years, noticed something was wrong when she could no longer do her outdoor swimming or mow the grass.<\/p>\n After being unable to get up from a chair and realizing that she had lost 5lbs unintentionally, Sian went to the GP in August and was sent for blood tests<\/a> immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cThey came back and they were scattered all over the place,\u201d Sian said.<\/p>\n Sian was then sent for a CT and MRI scan which revealed an enlarged spleen, before being referred to the hematology department and being diagnosed with myelofibrosis in September 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn’t stop crying,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Sian is currently undergoing treatment to shrink her enlarged spleen.<\/p>\n \u201cMy condition is very rare.<\/p>\n “I am the only myelofibrosis patient they’ve got in Swansea and Cardiff, and I\u2019ve been told my disease is aggressive as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo by National Cancer Institute via Unsplash<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to be upbeat and positive.<\/p>\n “When you take away the layers it\u2019s absolutely petrifying.<\/p>\n “But you\u2019ve got to forget about that and be positive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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