A woman suffering from a rare blood condition is on a quest to find her estranged biological father, who may enable her to get a potentially life-saving transplant if he donates his bone marrow.
Sarah Langdale, 32, who lives in the U.K. town of Rugby, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia when she was two.
This disease occurs when the body stops producing enough new blood cells. Patients with the condition are often fatigued and more prone to infections, as well as uncontrolled bleeding.
Aplastic anemia can develop at any age and can be short-lived or chronic. The condition can be mild or severe, and fatal in some cases. Treatments range from medications to blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants.
Langdale told local news outlet the Northampton Chronicle and Echo last year that her condition used to be manageable but started became significantly worse over the past two years.
At the age of 25, she was also diagnosed with vulvar cancer, which is currently also receiving treatment for.
"I'm having blood transfusions every three weeks and platelets every three weeks. I eventually started to lose my color and energy and I can't do anything," she told the Echo. "Yes I have arms and legs, I can function, but when it gets to that point I feel sluggish."
Langdale suffers from extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, and has a weakened immune system, the SWNS news agency reported. Whenever she cuts herself, she keeps bleeding for long periods, and small knocks cause significant bruising on her body.
Doctors have told her that she urgently needs a bone marrow transplant before her condition worsens.
Langdale's mother and one of her siblings each have a 50 perfect bone marrow match. But the 32-year-old is hoping that she can find a better match with her father or her half-siblings.
But Langdale has never met her father and the only thing she knows about him is that he lived near her childhood home in the town of Northampton, and is thought to still reside there. Her mother also doesn't know anything about him.
"I'm on a quest to find my father, it could potentially save my life," Langdale told the Echo. "I really need my dad to come forward. I've been looking hard for him. I thought I could try the Chronicle & Echo because he's meant to live in Northampton, so why not get the story out here."
"It would mean a hell of a lot to find my dad. I could try and get answers about my bone marrow, I could try and find out if he's alive and my ethnicity and background. There's a lot of puzzles that need putting together. I don't know his looks, I don't know what color his eyes are, I don't know anything."
If Langdale is not able to find her biological father, or he does not come forward, she will have to take new medication that could damage her liver. If the medication does not work, she may have to use donated bone marrow from her mom or siblings.
"It's quite something searching for your dad, and very emotional when doing so could save your life," Langdale told SWNS.
"It's very difficult and overwhelming. I'll die without the transplant, but I know virtually nothing about my dad, and I'm relying on someone seeing my story and coming forward with information. I can only live in hope."
