NEWS

Chester 9-year-old battling leukemia in urgent need of donor

Bone Marrow registry event Wednesday hopes to find match

Michael Izzo
@MIzzoDR
9-year-old Anya LeFrancis is looking for a bone marrow donor as she battles leukemia.

Chester residents being asked to swab their cheeks to see they can come to the aid of a 9-year-old borough girl battling leukemia.

The event is being organized by DKMS, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating blood cancers, and seeks to save the life of Anya LeFrancis, who is in critical need of a bone marrow transplant. Held from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, at Dickerson Elementary School, it simply encourages more people to join the bone marrow registry and hopes to find a match for Anya.

Attendees will only need to complete a quick cheek swab at the event. Potential donors should be between the ages of 18 and 65 and in good health. There is no charge to register but donations are welcome to help cover the $65 registration process.

A large donor list is critical because 70 percent of people suffering from blood related illnesses must rely on donors outside their families to save their lives, according to DKMS.

“We need a greater representation of people on the registry to have a good chance of finding a match, Anya’s father Robert LeFrancis said. “But there is a challenge with Anya that does not exist with others.”

Anya is Indian-American, and her unique heritage makes it more difficult for her to find the perfect match, as those of a mixed race only make up 5 percent of the donor registry pool, according to DKMS.

“Finding a bone marrow match is like a finding a needle in a haystack – that’s why it is so critical to raise awareness and encourage people to join the bone marrow registry,” DKMS Donor Recruitment Coordinator Jordan Segal said. “For patients like Anya that come from a diverse background, the odds of finding a perfect match are unfortunately much more slim. A quick swab of your cheeks is all it takes to potentially save someone’s life and to help give patients like Anya a second chance.”​

Anya was first diagnosed with leukemia in kindergarten and finished her therapy at the beginning of third grade. The cancer was aggressively treated for years, but some of the leukemia survived. In January, she was diagnosed with relapsed leukemia. Since the disease was more resilient, chemotherapy alone would not be enough to treat it.

Anya is now in urgent need of a bone marrow donor. A transplant must be done by May to save her life, according to DKMS.

About 26 million possible matches were searched for Anya, and only three results came back partially compatible. A partial match makes a transplant possible, but means a longer recovery time and greater risks. The family is hoping to find a better match in the next two months.

“We are looking for everyone’s participation also, not just mixed race,” LeFrancis said. “While statistically it’s more likely to find a match in someone of common ancestry, a match can come from anywhere. We want to increase the registry and get Anya her best match.”

Through it all, Anya remains optimistic. She calls herself “Princess Anya the Overcomer” and people can follow her progress by searching that name on Facebook.

“She a spunky, lovely kid,” LeFrancis said. “She’s a little depressed sometimes that’s she’s stuck at the hospital, she gets bored because she’s a very social person, but she is resilient.”

Anya is not yet in remission but her family is hopeful the next month of biotherapy will put her in a better position for the transplant.

Anya LeFrancis is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

“The first month was touch and go but she’s doing well now on a day-to-day basis,” LeFrancis said. “She is doing well with the medication, tolerating it better than higher dose chemotherapy, and we’re hoping this new therapy works well and puts her in a good place for a transplant.”

While fighting her own battle, Anya even found a way to give back to other girls battling cancer. She cut her hair to donate during her second week back at the hospital before it fell out.

“I think she looks beautiful with short hair, but I think she wanted to have long hair when she lost it the first time,” LeFrancis said. “So in second grade she decided she wanted to grow it out and donate it to someone who needed it. All of this was happening to her and that’s what was on her mind because she had been growing it for that purpose.”

Anya also has a brief respite to look forward to soon after months of chemotherapy and biotherapy. Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign launched by her school, the family will take a 10-day trip to Disney World prior to her transplant.

“Recovery time is long and nothing in life is guaranteed,” LeFrancis said. “So this a great trip for Anya to look forward to before the transplant.”

Additional drives will be held Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Indus American Bank, 10 Shalks Crossing Road in Plainsboro, and Sunday, March 26, from noon to 4 p.m. at Oak Ponds at Bloomfield-Club House, 40 Memorial Parkway in Bloomfield.

People can also register to be a bone marrow donor by going to dkms.org and having a swab kit sent to their home.

“It might not help Anya, but it’s going to increase the registry, and you never know when something like this is going to hit,” LeFrancis said. “To do something in service to other people, that’s good karma if nothing else.”

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com

If you go :

When: Wendesday, March 22, from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

Where: Dickerson Elementary School, 250 Route 24 in Chester

Cost: Free, but donations are welcome