US girl battling with cancer needs special blood from Iranian, Pakistani, Indian

A New York woman with a rare blood type is donating two units to help save a 2-year-old South Florida girl who is battling cancer. News outlets report the woman had donated her own blood while pregnant in case she needed a transfusion during her delivery. Luckily, she didn't need it and has agreed to give it to Zainab Mughal, who has neuroblastoma.

Susan Forbes of Florida-based OneBlood says that transfer still needs approval from the FDA, and the woman isn't eligible to donate yet after giving birth.

OneBlood is asking for donors for the girl, whose blood lacks an antigen most people carry. The donor must be Pakistani, Indian or Iranian, and even within these groups, fewer than 4 per cent have the genetic variation.