CELEBRATING FRIENDSHIP AND SAVING LIVES: DKMS SPREADS AWARENESS ON BLOOD STEM CELL DONATION

Bengaluru: Today, on the International Day of Friendship, DKMS celebrates the power of connection that transcends borders and cultures. As proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, friendship plays a vital role in fostering peace, understanding, and collaboration between individuals, communities, and nations. This message resonates deeply within the blood stem cell donation community, where individuals from all walks of life unite to offer a second chance at life to those battling blood cancers and blood disorders. This spirit of unity extends far beyond social bonds, with the potential to save lives through blood stem cell donation.

The story of 19-year-old Vansh, a young survivor who battled Thalassemia since infancy, exemplifies the life-changing impact of international friendship. Diagnosed at just 3 months old, Vansh faced a constant struggle until a selfless stem cell donor from London, Harshil, was found to be his perfect match. Harshil’s decision to donate his blood stem cells offered Vansh a second chance at life, a testament to the power of global solidarity.

“This International Day of Friendship, we are deeply inspired by Harshil’s generosity and the bond it created between him and Vansh,” said Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India. “Vansh’s story highlights the critical need for diverse blood stem cell donors. By increasing awareness and encouraging people from all backgrounds to register as potential donors, we can build a stronger global community that saves lives.”

Vansh says, “Today, I am leading a normal life, I love to do coding and cycling and aspire to become a software engineer. All thanks to Harshil who donated his stem cells and gave me a new life.”

Just like strong friendships connect people from all walks of life, blood stem cell donation offers a unique opportunity for individuals to become lifesavers for complete strangers. Patients suffering from blood cancers and blood disorders often rely on blood stem cell transplants for a second chance at life.

Together, through the power of friendship, we can build bridges of hope and ensure more individuals like Vansh receive the second chance they deserve.

Every five minutes, a new case of blood cancer or a blood disorder, such as Thalassemia or Aplastic Anemia, is diagnosed in India. The availability of matching blood stem cell donors remains a significant challenge for Indian patients in need of life-saving transplants. Only 0.09% of Indians are registered as stem cell donors. The chances of an Indian patient finding a matching unrelated donor are one in a million. This leaves thousands of Indian patients on a waitlist for years as they cannot find donors, mostly due to the lack of Indian representation on the worldwide stem cell database.

To address this disparity and save more lives, it is crucial to register a larger number of potential stem cell donors from India. With a population of over 1.42 billion and a rising incidence of blood cancer, thalassemia, and aplastic anemia, the need for Indian stem cell donors has never been greater.

This International Day of Friendship, we encourage everyone to celebrate the friendships in their lives and consider the positive impact they can have on the world. We also urge individuals to learn more about blood stem cell donation and how they can potentially become a lifesaver for someone in need.

To register as a potential stem cell donor, you must be a healthy Indian adult between 18 and 55. When you are ready to register, all you need to do is complete a consent form and swab the inside of your cheeks to collect your tissue cells. Your tissue sample is then sent to the lab to be analysed for your HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) and listed anonymously on the international search platform for matching stem cell donors. If you’re eligible, register as a blood stem cell donor by ordering your home swab kit at www.dkms-bmst.org/register