My Story

My name is Nimalan Sundaram and I am 28 years old. I grew up in rural Australia and moved to New York City for work in 2022. Before my diagnosis, you could find me at a live music venue, travelling or exploring the NYC restaurant scene. I am an avid lover of cricket, have played guitar since I was 13 and picked up a love for golf in recent years.

In November of 2024, I was in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, with my partner, Sarah, for Thanksgiving celebrations with family. Having finished the New York City Marathon a few weeks before, I was supposed to be in the best shape of my life, but for some reason I was finding it difficult to breathe. I went to a doctor who ran some tests and soon after I was transferred in an ambulance to a major hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. A few days later, I was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

I have been undertaking intensive chemotherapy for the past three months and am approaching a critical juncture in my cancer journey.

Now, I need your help.

My specialists think I may need a stem cell transplant to be cured, but unfortunately the chances of me finding a perfect match are low. Stem cell matches are based on ethnicity and Sri Lankans are under-represented in the stem cell donor registries across the world. My best chance of a match is from individuals aged 18 - 35 who are descendants of Sri Lankan or Indian Tamils.

Going through this journey with my family has made me realise the challenges that all families with a blood cancer diagnosis face. Finding a perfect match is difficult.

What began as a plea to register as many people who share my ancestry has now become a quest to help every family, irrespective of ethnicity, all over the world. Will you join me on this journey? You have the opportunity not just to save my life but also the life of another complete stranger and their family, battling a blood cancer.