A man from Ghana who has been named the “perfect” stem cell match for his unwell sister has been granted a UK visa after his case was reviewed by the Home Office.
Joseph Kordie was initially denied a UK visa and left unable to help Shirley, from Walsall, who “urgently” requires a transplant in order to treat her rare form of blood cancer, according to a charity.
However, following an appeal the Home Office has confirmed that it has now issues a six-month UK visa and is working to ensure Mr Kordie can travel to Britain as soon as possible.
Ahead of the appeal, around 78,000 people signed a petition calling for the visa to be grated, in a campaign launched by the Anthony Nolan Trust and the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) to help Ms Kordie.
According to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where Ms Kordie is receiving treatment, she is suffering from a type of rare blood cancer called hypoplastic MDS and requires immediate treatment if she is to survive the ordeal.
The online petition, begun by the charity's Simon Butler, said "time is running out" for Ms Kordie who has been reportedly relying on “blood transfusions to reduce her life-threatening anaemia".
Charity spokeswoman Amelia Chong said: "Her brother is a perfect, 10 out of 10 match for her. We have reviewed all those on the donor list and he is not only the perfect match, he is the only match."