The survival of Hafsa depends on a North African donor: the heartbreaking appeal of a Moroccan-origin police officer

A well-known figure in Flanders thanks to his participation in the television show Alloo bij de Wegpolitie, Abdelkamal Ouad Khlie, nicknamed Abdel, was deeply moved by the story of the young patient, discovered during the charitable operation De Warmste Week. As the father of a daughter of the same age, he immediately felt the distress of Hafsa’s parents as he celebrated his own child’s school results. Determined to act, he tried to register as a donor with his wife, only to be confronted with the age limit set at 40 years old, when he is 50.

Unable to donate his own blood, the police officer has decided to lend his voice. He is now urging all Moroccans in Belgium aged 18 to 40 to massively register on the donor registers. Due to the rarity of North African, Turkish or mixed genetic profiles in global databases, Hafsa’s chances of survival depend entirely on the mobilization of her community of origin. While 1,200 people have recently come forward, the perfect match has still not been found. The procedure is simple, however: registration on stamceldonor.be followed by a standard blood draw, a trivial gesture that could nevertheless save a life.