A UNIVERSITY student who learnt she had leukaemia on the day her mum was discharged after suffering breast cancer has sparked a local campaign for blood to the Red Crescent.

Afra Rabia Demirel, a 22-year-old student from Aydin, launched the campaign Give blood hope among her friends to raise awareness of the need for blood and bone marrow transplants.

Her friends responded in kind with giving blood to be tested. The campaign grew and workers at Aydin court house also gave blood for stem cell research.

Afra said that she had run blood tests in light of her mum’s illness and discovered that she was diagnosed with leukemia on the day her mum was discharged. Afra is now undergoing a course of treatment to combat the leukaemia.

She said: “I told my mother that I’d be good, everything would be good. My family was there.”

“At first I thought it was a dream. I thought I’d wake up. I still can not believe it. Everyone who is diagnosed with this disease, I say morale is very important, it is very important to be strong. I tell them that everything will be good. ”

She said she was overwhelmed by everyone who had responded to the cause.