Asia joins ACLT - from bridging the diversity gap in tech industry to bridging the gap in finding a stem cell match.
Asia Sharif is an award-winning software engineer living in Manchester. Over the past few years, Asia has dedicated her career to advocating for women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Asia was named by Computer Weekly as one of the most significant women in the technology field in 2022. She also won the WIBF (Women in Banking and Finance) Tech Leader Award 2023 and was named Woman of the Year by the Bupa Every Women in Technology Awards in 2024.
In between receiving these awards, Asia was battling with ill health. Later diagnosed as Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma, a blood cancer in 2023. Just a few months after ringing the bell to signal the end of treatment in April, Asia relapsed, and the cancer came back in three months. Her life now lies in the hope of receiving a stem cell transplant.
‘I’m only 27 and I don’t want to die’
A stem cell transplant is a critical part of her treatment plan because it offers the best chance of eradicating the cancer and achieving long-term remission. For many blood cancer patients, including Asia, finding a compatible stem cell donor can mean the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, for Asia, finding a suitable match means overcoming stark odds.
Asia is of Somali and Moroccan descent, and heritage plays a key role in matching patient to donor. Only 3% of the UK population are registered as stem cell donors, 0.5% are of mixed or ethnic minority heritage. Because of these statistics we are encouraging everyone to join the stem cell register, especially those who share the same or similar ethnicity of Asia.
Asia is only 27 years old, with a successful life to live. It takes a generous donor to save her life.
“And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the lives of all mankind”
