My name is Ashish P. Lakkad, and I am currently the department head at Dharmanandan Diamonds Company in Surat. My journey with DATRI began when I became a stem cell donor after registering during a donor registration drive at our company. DATRI’s mission to save lives of those battling blood cancer and blood disorders inspired me to join as a volunteer.
“DATRI’s mission resonated deeply with me. I wanted to contribute to the fight against blood-related diseases and cancer,” I recall. After my registration, I was matched with a young patient and donated stem cells through a central line, as the veins in my hands were not suitable. Despite all the efforts, the child did not survive. This experience strengthened my resolve. Though my donation couldn’t save that child’s life, I am determined to register as many people as possible to help save others.
I am fortunate to have the support of my family and office staff in my service work with DATRI. Since joining as a donor and volunteer, I have found a new purpose in society. My friends from our company, who share my passion, have joined me as volunteers, helping to register people in camps everywhere.
“As a volunteer, I actively lead donor recruitment drives, generate leads, and counsel potential donors,” I always think and feel, “many people are blessed with good health, but for those who may suffer from diseases like blood cancer, we could be a blessing.”
DATRI Connect 9 Registering as a blood stem cell donor and getting the chance to be a lifesaver is one of the noblest acts one can do. Volunteering with DATRI gives you immense satisfaction, knowing you can be the catalyst for someone to get a second chance at life. Joining DATRI has been a profound learning experience for me. While I deeply regret that my donation couldn’t save a life, I am committed to donating stem cells again if matched with another patient.
“My experience with DATRI is helping me nudge and inspire others to join as volunteers. Through this article, I hope to inspire more individuals to volunteer with DATRI. By joining us, you can be a diamond in disguise, helping to save lives and make a difference in the world.
About DATRI:
DATRI Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry, a not-for-profit organisation, has facilitated more than 1401 Blood Stem Cell Donations to date. The journey began in the year 2009 to find unrelated matched donors for patients with leukaemia, Thalassemia or blood disorders whose life is dependent on an unrelated donor to survive. DATRI, India’s largest Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry, has more than 5,59,517 donors registered. DATRI is working towards creating a wide and diverse database of potential Blood Stem Cell Donors that can be accessed by any patient living anywhere in the world in need of a Blood Stem Cell Donation. Any healthy individual between the age of 18 years to 50 years can register as a blood stem cell donor with DATRI and potentially become a lifesaver when they’re found to be a match for a fatal blood disorder patient.
