Two children who face death unless you help

JOJO MOYES

Two Bosnian children may die before the New Year unless enough money can be raised to bring them to Britain for life-saving cancer treatment.

With the proper medical help, the two children - who suffer from non- Hodgkins lymphoma - have an 80 per cent chance of survival. Without it, they will die, possibly within weeks.

The estimated cost of the two children's 6-month treatment is pounds 100,000. More than pounds 30,000 has already been promised by the World Memorial Fund and Lions Clubs International (who have donated pounds 203,000 overall to help Bosnian children). But the balance is needed urgently if the two children are to live.

Lejla Ahmetstahic, 13, and Adnan Bratanovic, 7, are currently undergoing chemotherapy at Sarajevo's Kosevo hospital. There are no radiotherapy, no laboratory facilities and no isolation unit to guard against infection while their blood count is dangerously low.

"While they remain in Sarajevo we don't know what their chances of survival will be," said Dr Michael Plunkett of Child Advocacy, who is treating the children. "If they got a bad infection they would just die. It could happen in under 24 hours."

Lejla has spent most of her life in Gorazde, the last remaining Muslim enclave in eastern Bosnia. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in September and evacuated to Sarajevo a month ago with her mother, Murisa.

Child Advocacy International is one of the four charities working in Bosnia which the Independent is asking its readers to support this Christmas. Please make your cheques or postal orders payable to the charity of your choice and send them to us with the coupon.