Cancer! the very word sends doom and despair in the patient’s hearts and everyone else involved. DATRI is one such organisation that wishes to prove otherwise! With the induction of special days to remember, such as World Cancer Day’ ‘International Childhood Cancer Day,’ to name a few, much recognition is given to the patients and various treatment methods.
Statistics show that over 4,00,000 children and adolescents below the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer every year. While a segment of the world is full of joy and happiness, the darker side of life, especially those with cancer, cannot be ignored. However, many are those who have experienced, seen, or wish to play a positive role in others’ lives. Their life turns into a blessing for the one suffering!
A young child from a remote part of India was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a fatal blood disorder. The only hope of his survival depended on a blood stem cell transplant for which his families were tested, only to be devastated to know that none of their family members had matching Blood Stem Cells, and this added to their grief and agony, which unfortunately is the case of thousands of children across the world. This was when the parents of the child approached DATRI for an unrelated donor.
When a search was done for his HLA typing in the potential donor database, a match was found with a registered donor, Mr. Prakash Shinde, an agro businessman, journalist, and media professional. When team DATRI reached out to him, he recollected his registration with DATRI as a Blood Stem Cell Donor and immediately responded that he was happy to donate and save a child’s life.
Our DATRI coordinator explained to Mr. Shinde the process of PBSC (Peripheral Blood Stem Cell) collection. As an adult, he understood the procedure and reinforced his decision to donate blood stem cells.
What made Mr. Prakash Shinde, an easy-going, humble, kind, and generous person, decide to donate? His personal experience of losing a cousin at a very young age made him act responsibly. He immediately registered with DATRI! And throughout the procedure, he was very cooperative and enthusiastic.
The collection day was scheduled for 15th Feb 2021 and coincided with the ‘International Childhood Cancer’ day. When he came to know about it, his face reflected the joy of being a blessing to a young child.
We at DATRI salute the 784th Blood Stem Cell Donor, Mr. Prakash Shinde. Our fond hope that with this kind act, the recipient would have a healthy and fruitful life.
A patient only has a 25% chance of finding a donor from within the family. The majority of patients depend on unrelated Blood Stem Cell Donors. The probability of finding an unrelated matched donor is 1 in 10,000 to 1 in over a Million.
Has this story inspired you? Remember, you can also be on the lifesavers list. All you need to do is come forward to be a blessing in the life of someone who needs a benevolent donor such as YOU. Because who knows? You could be that 1 in a million match for someone desperate for a new lease of life.
DATRI is India’s largest Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry with 4,61,779 registered donors and has facilitated 788 collections. Register with DATRI and become a Lifesaver.
ACT NOW. GIFT A LIFE 
About the Author:
Sonali A. Bhandarkar is a medical graduate and management professional with Ph.D. in service management. She is working in the social sector since 6 years and passionate to make constructive changes in lives. She is part of DATRI for almost 3 years. Continuous learning and improvements are the things that keep her going. And the real reward for all of us is the happy healthy faces of the patients and Donors.