Food poisoning incident reveals Malayali woman's life-threatening condition

Rafiya Sherin, a 30-year-old Malayali woman, shifted to the UK in 2019 for her master's degree. Unfortunately, the Malappuram native from Manjeri has had to hold her dreams and plans, as she was diagnosed with a rare medical condition last year. And what revealed it was something unexpected - an incident of food poisoning! Now, she urgently needs a matching stem cell donor and her community in Kerala is trying to help her.

Rafiya's condition
Rafiya was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, a rare condition where the bone marrow fails to produce essential new blood cells. People suffering from the condition have many health complications like heart issues, bleeding and other infections. This happens when the bone marrow can't make enough platelets and blood cells. While there are treatments to handle the symptoms of the disease, the only cure is a stem cell transplantation. Through the procedure, stem cells are collected from donors and given to those who suffer from abnormal, damaged or cancerous cells.

The diagnosis
In June last year, during a holiday with friends in Egypt and Serbia, Rafiya suffered from a severe bout of food poisoning. While her travel partners recovered, Rafiya’s symptoms persisted long after her return to the UK. She experienced severe dizziness, vomiting, muscle pain, chronic fatigue, and diarrhoea. Initially dismissed by healthcare providers as post-illness weakness, her deteriorating condition prompted further investigations. A subsequent blood test revealed the gravity of her health issues, leading to an immediate hospital admission and an emergency blood transfusion.

"If I had not contracted food poisoning, this life-threatening underlying condition might not have been detected so quickly," Rafiya reflected. She now requires critical blood transfusions twice a week to manage the condition. Despite the overwhelming nature of her diagnosis, Rafiya has turned her battle into a mission, raising awareness and urging people to register as stem cell donors.

The South Asian donor deficit
According to DKMS UK, a leading international stem cell donor registry, nearly 2,000 people in the UK are currently searching for a matching donor to save their lives. Yet, only about 7% of the eligible UK population is registered on the stem cell database. For patients of South Asian heritage like Rafiya, finding a match is particularly difficult due to the low representation of diverse ethnic backgrounds in the registry. Matching stem cell tissue types are highly dependent on shared ancestry, making local and community-specific drives critical.

Registration camp in Manjeri
To support Rafiya and others in similar predicaments, her community in Kerala is rallying to find a match. A dedicated stem cell registration camp will be held on August 15, 2026, at the Yatheemkhana Higher Secondary School in Manjeri, Malappuram. Registering is straightforward and can be initiated online through the DKMS website, which delivers a simple cheek-swab kit directly to homes. Humanitarian organisations have urged young, healthy individuals to participate, reminding them that a simple swab test could give someone a second lease of life.

From a young age, Rafiya has been deeply committed to social service and community welfare in Malappuram. She has volunteered with several initiatives, including the Green Palliative Care Network, and regularly offered free tuition to children from low-income families. Now, her family and friends are hoping that the wider community will step forward to help save her life.