Warmste Week appeal leads to surge in potential stem cell donors for sick girl
An emotional appeal on VRT's annual radio and television charity drive De Warmste Week (The Warmest Week) has sparked an unprecedented surge in potential stem cell donors for 11-year-old Hafsa Bidri, a Belgian girl with a rare and life-threatening blood disorder.
Hafsa, who lives in Heist-op-den-Berg, suffers from beta-thalassemia major, a hereditary condition that severely impairs her body’s ability to produce healthy blood. She requires regular transfusions and, crucially, a bone-marrow transplant from a compatible donor with a similar genetic and ethnic background to have any chance of long-term survival. Because her family has Moroccan or North African roots, a donor from the same background is essential – a group that is significantly under-represented in donor registries across Europe.
Earlier this month, Hafsa appeared live on De Warmste Week. The event brings together non-stop radio and television broadcasts with community-led fundraising activities across Flanders to support chosen social causes each year. All money raised goes to relevant projects selected in advance, and the campaign is widely seen as the largest solidarity movement in the region.
An unprecedented public response
Within hours of Hafsa’s segment, the impact was dramatic. While only around 30 new donors from the relevant ethnic group typically register in a year, more than 1,000 people had signed up as potential donors by Saturday, driven by public reaction to her story during the broadcast and on social media.
“It’s like searching for a needle in a haystack, but this gives hope,” said Vincent Verbeeck, spokesperson for Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen (Belgian Red Cross), referring to the chances of finding a matching donor. While only a fraction of new registrations may ultimately be compatible with Hafsa, every additional candidate significantly increases that likelihood.
Hafsa’s classmates, teachers and broader school community have actively supported the appeal: posters, social media campaigns and grassroots outreach helped amplify her message. “To the Moroccan community in Belgium: register as a stem cell donor so that Hafsa can stay alive longer,” one call to action urged, addressing Belgians with Moroccan heritage directly.
The role of De Warmste Week
The response on De Warmste Week has not only brought a flood of donor registrations but also broader awareness of the challenges facing patients with rare diseases. For many families and individuals affected by conditions requiring donor cells, compatible matches can be literally life-saving but are often scarce in national registries.
De Warmste Week is VRT’s annual charity drive held in the week before Christmas. For seven days, presenters from VRT’s channels broadcast live from a central location in Flanders. The campaign invites individuals, schools, companies and community groups to organise activities to raise money for a social cause chosen for that year. All funds collected go into a dedicated charity fund, overseen by the King Baudouin Foundation, and are distributed to support projects aligned with the chosen theme.
To become a stem cell donor, register with the Red Cross
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER
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