Race against time: these kids are in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant

He’s only four months old but he has already endured more medical procedures than most people are subjected to in a lifetime. Bone-marrow extractions, blood and platelet transfusions, two aggressive rounds of chemotherapy – little Rayaan Madhav of Norwood, Johannesburg, has been through it all.

The little boy was diagnosed at eight weeks with acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood and bone-marrow cancer, and his illness is consuming his mom Arlene’s life.

Her son has spent most of his short life in hospital and on days he is well enough to be home he can’t even be outdoors because his immune system has been compromised by the chemotherapy.