World Marrow Donor Day: Blood stem cell donation helping blood cancer patients with a second chance at life!

DKMS-BMST thanks the blood stem cell donors worldwide 

Bengaluru, September 19, 2020: September 19^th is observed as World Marrow Donor Day, a day celebrated to thank blood stem cell donors who have already donated, and donors who are on a global registry waiting to donate their blood stem cells for patients who are in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant. A successful blood stem-cell transplant in 70% to 90% of blood cancer patients may give them a second chance at life, depending on the disease condition and the donor type.

With a large amount of population unaware about the process, and myths associated, World Marrow Donor Day is also celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a blood stem cell donor and the impact of blood stem cell transplantation on a patients’ life.

In order to raise awareness and help Indian patients, DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit organization is recruiting blood stem cell donors and working towards increasing the representation of Indians in the global database. Their mission is to provide a second chance at life to as many blood cancer and other blood disorder patients as possible. As of now they have registered over 42,000 potential lifesavers and saved the life of 28 patients.

Maheer, a 14-year old boy was diagnosed with blood cancer. Post consulting a doctor the family got to know of blood stem cell transplant process and how Maheer could survive with the help of blood stem cells from an unrelated donor. He was able to find his matching blood stem cell donor Dr. Sita who hails from Germany. Post the stem cell transplant, Maheer got his second chance at life and is leading a normal life today, just like any other child his age.

“Due to lack of awareness and diverse ethnicity, India faces a huge gap in demand and supply. For a blood stem cell transplant to succeed, it is important that the HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) of the donor and patient match. Only about 30% of the patients in need of a stem cell transplant as a life-saving treatment are able to find a sibling match. The rest 70% depend on finding a matching unrelated donor. We are forever indebted to all the people who have registered as potential blood stem cell donors. Their altruism is a reminder that the capacity for human kindness is boundless,” says Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India.

Worldwide, there are more than 37 million potential blood stem cell donors for patients in need of a transplant. These donors give hope, positivity, love and often a second chance at life to patients, their families and friends worldwide. But when it comes to India, the probability of finding a match becomes challenging because out of those 37 million only 0.03% are Indians have registered as potential blood stem cell donors. With a country of over 1.3 billion population and rising incidences of blood cancer and other blood disorders like thalassemia and aplastic anemia, it increases the need for more people of Indian ethnicity to register themselves as a potential blood stem cell donor and help save a life.

Mohd. Saifulla, father to a 4-year-old Thalassemia survivor who underwent a blood stem cell transplant said “We went to multiple doctors trying to assess the problem and to find a matching donor who could save her life. Receiving this transplant was the only chance of survival for my daughter and we are forever indebted to Debojyoti, a 28-years-old software professional, whose HLA type matched our daughter’s.”

DKMS-BMST has organized over 1,000 donor registration drives in the last one year across various organizations’ such as corporates, educational institutes, hospitals and defense forces to spread awareness about blood stem cell donation and enroll more potential donors.  Harsh, a blood stem cell donor registered with the foundation said, “With very limited knowledge about blood stem cells I believed they were present only in the bone marrow and extracting them was a complex process. But to my surprise, the process is very similar to blood platelet donation. I strongly feel that anyone who is made aware that a simple process with zero complications can give you a chance to save a life will not hesitate from committing themselves towards the cause”.

In the current lockdown situation, to ensure that patients whose donations were scheduled do not face any challenges and are organizing awareness sessions through webinars and calling for registrations through the online portal: www.dkms-bmst.org/register.

Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)