It's a match! Techie saves cancer patient

Covid-19 survivor donates stem cells to blood cancer patient just 28 days after fighting the virus The crisis in the health infrastructure of the country that followed the Covid-19 pandemic did not just affect people getting infected with the virus, but other patients too, mostly the ones dealing with prolonged diseases like blood cancer and thalassemia.

The shortage of blood across the country has been looming large, which is a huge bane for patients with a chronic condition. Such is the case for blood cancer patients as they not just need constant blood transfusion, but they are also in need of stem cells.

Coming to the rescue of a blood cancer patient, a 22-year-old covid survivor donated his blood stem cells just 28 days after his recovery. Midhun Babu K, an electrical engineer from Kozhikode, registered for stem cell donation in 2018 but after he got infected for covid this year, he was doubtful if he is still a potential donor because post-recovery his immunity won’t be the same. He cleared his doubts from the doctors at the hospital where he was being treated for covid. Twenty-eight days after his recovery, Midhun was notified that a blood cancer patient needs stem cells and his blood type was matching with the person, which brought him to Bengaluru where he made the donation in May this year.

Midhun is now on a mission to motivate and encourage his peers, family and relatives for the noble cause. He told BM that as per the protocol, the identity of the recipient was hidden from him. It’s very rare that these patient finds a match and when the volunteers told me that I was a match for a patient, I was up for the donation. This will also break the taboo of donating blood or stem cells after recovering from covid,” Midhun added.

“Initially, there were apprehensions about how a covid patient could donate stem cells, but soon after I discussed the details with my case manager, Mathew, who made me speak to a German doctor. The doctor convinced me that Covid-19 cannot spread through stem cells and that it’s a transplantation procedure. Along with this, my family, friends and well-wishers only encouraged me with my decision,” Midhun said.

“A blood stem cell transplant replaces a person’s defective stem cells with healthy ones, and one can donate blood stem cells after 28 days of recovering from Covid-19,” says Patrick Paul, CEO of DKMS BMST Foundation India, an NGO dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders.

The only way to clear the doubts of people surrounding stem cell donations, and deleting the wrong speculations from their minds, is an increase in awareness on the concept of blood stem cell donation. People should be made aware how it is a non-surgical process, safe for the donor and the donation will increase the survival rate of the patient.