In a bid to find a suitable bone marrow donor for their thalassemic children, families from various parts of Maharashtra arrived with their relatives at the Anjuman Islam Girls High School in Bandra (West), where a free Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing test camp was organised on Wednesday.

Nine-year-old Usman Ansari, a thalassemic patient, has relied on blood transfusions since infancy. “He requires blood transfusions twice a month. Although the procedure is free, we incur other medical expenses up to Rs 1,200,” said Parvez Ansari, Usman’s father. Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that can lead to abnormal haemoglobin production, which can further lead to anaemia and various other health complications.