Donation protected
I am Sikander Rahman, uncle of twins Zayan and Rayan Shams. I am currently serving my country in the US Military. I hope to raise funds and receive prayers to help support my two nephews and family. The beneficiary will be Shamus, the father of the kids.
These little guys have gone through so much over the past three years, I don't know where to begin. Zayan and Rayan were born on November 16, 2017. For about most of their lives these little soldiers have been in the hospital. A genetic test revealed that Rayan and Zayan have a unique (not reported anywhere in the world) mutation in the ITK gene which causes an immune defect. This immune defect drives autoimmune processes such as the hemolytic anemia, and makes it unlikely that they will respond to medical therapy. Currently, Rayan and Zayan have end-stage liver disease due to progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) and autoimmune hemolytic anemia due to a rare homozygous mutation in ITK. Over the last year, their liver disease has progressed to the point that they require a liver transplant. While scheduling liver transport evaluation, they developed severe lymphocytic enteritis which led to them requiring all nutrition to be given through their veins. Shortly after presenting with the colitis it was also found that Rayan's body was destroying both his red blood cells and platelets. This lead to his body becoming dependent on blood and platelet transfusions.
Since birth, it has been challenging for the twins. Rayan has been hospitalized for several months. During the past month he has received immunosuppression, transfusions and total parenteral nutrition, however he continues to decline. Rayan is in far more critical condition and has been for a while meaning he needs a transplant as soon as possible. We can neither afford nor find a nurse due to Coronavirus having all the essential workers working around the clock. Due to the pandemic, no one but the parents of the twins, Shamus and Afra, are able to visit him in Hartford Hospital. This caused them to move back into the area from almost 2 hours away so that the twins would receive the best treatment possible. As you can imagine this is very taxing on our family, but we are hopeful! I received a call from my brother on 12/1/2020 saying that my swab test revealed that I am the only match found for Rayan in the world for donation of both the liver and bone marrow. Receiving bone marrow and liver from the same person decreases the likelihood that the liver and bone marrow will reject one another.
The health challenges of my twin nephews have exhausted my family emotionally and financially, but it is our love for each other that gives us the strength to carry on. Whatever can help to alleviate the need to work so that we can have more time and energy to tend to the twins and my recovery is greatly appreciated. In advance, we thank you for your prayers and support.
One Love,
the Rahman Family
Co-organizers (3)
Sikander Rahman
Organizer
Windsor, CT
Shamus Zia
Beneficiary
Jah Holmes
Co-organizer