A musical theatre star whose career was put on hold by a shock diagnosis of blood cancer is returning to the stage after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor in Germany. Sacha Gomes, 24, was auditioning for a major West End show in March 2024 when she began feeling tired and like she had a cold.
After visiting hospital, she received a shock diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia, a rare and aggressive cancer of the white blood cells. Sacha underwent intense cycles of treatment while University College London Hospitals searched for a stem cell donor. One was eventually found in Germany and she received a transplant last October.
Sacha said: “Getting cancer so young was something I never could have expected. It was the hardest thing I’m likely to ever have to face, but I was lucky enough to make it out the other side and I am determined to make it mean something.
“Everyone likes to say that everything happens for a reason, but I don’t want to live my life waiting for that reason to present itself.”
During a stem cell transplant, the patient’s faulty blood stem cells are replaced with healthy ones from a donor. This kick-starts the patient’s immune system to make new blood cells.
Sacha, of Chiswick in London, was declared cancer-free on January 25, 100 days after the procedure.
The search for her donor was particularly difficult because of her mixed ethnicity — on one side, her grandfather was Jamaican and her grandmother white English, while her other grandparents were Spanish.
This meant doctors were unable to find a matching donor in the UK, where there is a shortage of donors of Afro Caribbean origin.
Patients from black and mixed-race backgrounds have just a 37% chance of finding the best possible stem cell match, compared to 72% for white northern European patients.
Singer and actor Sacha has now put together a concert starring friends and colleagues to raise funds for the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT).
The cast includes stars who previously appeared in West End hits Hamilton, Cabaret, Six and Mamma Mia! and will perform their favourite songs.
She said: “I want to make something positive out of a horrific situation and I want to use my experience and my story to raise awareness about the lack of donors from the black community in the UK.
“One of my first thoughts when told that I needed a transplant was, will I even find a donor? I want to help so that in the future, that doesn’t have to be someone else’s first thought.
“It’s been amazing how many of my friends and colleagues from musical theatre have volunteered to play a part in the show, from singers and musicians to technical staff. It’s going to be a brilliant night for a brilliant cause.”
ACLT co-founder, Beverley De Gale, said: “Sacha’s story shines a powerful light on a devastating reality; there are still far too few blood, stem cell and organ donors of black heritage.
“This shortfall costs lives every single year. ACLT’s mission is to close these gaps by inspiring more people of African and Caribbean descent to join donor registers, give blood, and ultimately save lives.
“By raising awareness through initiatives like this event, we can not only celebrate our community with incredible music but also inspire more people to step forward and register as donors. Every donor has the power to give the gift of life – and that is the greatest legacy of all.”
Sacha’s show, A Night for ACLT, will be at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre at 7pm on Sunday 2 November. Tickets, costing £35 plus booking fees, are available here.
