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Nine-year-old boy seeks sh200m for life-saving bone marrow transplant
Mola, a resident of Busamaga East in Mbale City, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells, in January 2023.
Mola is currently receiving chemotherapy and special treatment delivered directly into the spinal fluid, known as intrathecal therapy, to control the disease. (Photo by Ibrahim Ruhweza)
By: Ibrahim Ruhweza, Journalist @New Vision
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Joshua Mola, a nine-year-old boy from Mbale City, urgently needs about sh200m to undergo a life-saving bone marrow transplant after his cancer recurred despite undergoing treatment.
Mola, a resident of Busamaga East in Mbale City, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells, in January 2023.
Mola’s father, Raymond Ekwang, said his son had responded well to treatment, and tests showed no detectable cancer cells in his blood.
However, further tests later revealed that Mola had a high-risk form of the disease linked to a genetic change known as BCR-ABL, a mutation that can make the cancer more difficult to treat.
Ekwang said that because of this, doctors added a targeted cancer medicine called Imatinib to Mola’s treatment in May 2024.
Sadly, Mola’s cancer recurred recently. Mola developed what doctors call a central nervous system relapse; meaning that the cancer cells spread back into the fluid around his brain and spinal cord. He presented with severe headaches, loss of vision, and abnormal levels of cancer cells in his spinal fluid.
Mola is currently receiving chemotherapy and special treatment delivered directly into the spinal fluid, known as intrathecal therapy, to control the disease.
Doctors are now seeking to change his medication to dasatinib, another targeted cancer drug that works better against cancer cells affecting the central nervous system. However, medical specialists said chemotherapy alone may not be enough to cure Mola completely.
According to doctors, the best chance of survival is for Mola to achieve a good response to treatment and undergo an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. This is a procedure in which an unhealthy bone marrow, the tissue responsible for producing blood cells, is replaced with a healthy bone marrow from a suitable donor.
Ekwang said that because of this, doctors added a targeted cancer medicine called Imatinib to Mola’s treatment in May 2024.
Sadly, Mola’s cancer recurred recently. Mola developed what doctors call a central nervous system relapse; meaning that the cancer cells spread back into the fluid around his brain and spinal cord. He presented with severe headaches, loss of vision, and abnormal levels of cancer cells in his spinal fluid.
Mola is currently receiving chemotherapy and special treatment delivered directly into the spinal fluid, known as intrathecal therapy, to control the disease.
Doctors are now seeking to change his medication to dasatinib, another targeted cancer drug that works better against cancer cells affecting the central nervous system. However, medical specialists said chemotherapy alone may not be enough to cure Mola completely.
According to doctors, the best chance of survival is for Mola to achieve a good response to treatment and undergo an allogeneic bone marrow transplant. This is a procedure in which an unhealthy bone marrow, the tissue responsible for producing blood cells, is replaced with a healthy bone marrow from a suitable donor.
A successful transplant requires finding a matching donor. Mola’s siblings will need to undergo Human Leukocyte Antigen testing, a procedure used to check whether their tissue type matches Mola’s and whether they can donate the bone marrow.
Bone marrow transplant services are not currently available in Uganda, implying that Mola must seek treatment abroad. The procedure is estimated to cost between $30,000 and $50,000 (between sh120m and sh200m), depending on the treatment center and additional medical costs.
The family is now appealing for financial support to help Mola access the transplant, which doctors said could be life-saving.
“Access to a bone marrow transplant and a suitable donor is essential and potentially lifesaving for Mola,” his medical team advised, urging well-wishers and organisations to support the family’s efforts to raise the required funds.
Mola’s family hopes to raise the money in time to give him another chance at life. Ekwang can be contacted via telephone number +256782449978.
Bone marrow transplant services are not currently available in Uganda, implying that Mola must seek treatment abroad. The procedure is estimated to cost between $30,000 and $50,000 (between sh120m and sh200m), depending on the treatment center and additional medical costs.
The family is now appealing for financial support to help Mola access the transplant, which doctors said could be life-saving.
“Access to a bone marrow transplant and a suitable donor is essential and potentially lifesaving for Mola,” his medical team advised, urging well-wishers and organisations to support the family’s efforts to raise the required funds.
Mola’s family hopes to raise the money in time to give him another chance at life. Ekwang can be contacted via telephone number +256782449978.