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Story #9 of 50 days, 50 Stories Campaign
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One-year-old with Thalassemia Major has only one matched donor for Blood Stem Cell Transplant. The donor was willing to come forward for the donation though, due to covid, donor availability delayed for a year. Here is our one-year coordination story with Amritha from Kerala.
Amritha is a Post Graduate Student from Palakkad, Kerala. She attended a donor registration camp conducted by the Social Work Department of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Tirur connected with India’s largest Blood Stem Cell Donor Registry, DATRI. Since she is a regular Blood Donor and registered Organ Donor, it wasn’t a big deal to sign up as a Potential Blood Stem Cell Donor. She found it as an opportunity to take a break from usual class hours and participated in the camp representing the NSS Unit.
Amritha recollecting her memories from donor registration to donation; There was an awareness session explaining the Blood Stem Cell Donation procedures in detail, but I didn’t bother to listen to it. I went straight to the registration counters and got two forms to fill up my details and consent, and a kit of cotton swabs (buds) to give buccal samples by rubbing the inner cheek (Cheek Cell Swabbing). At the end of the registration process, a Donor ID card was issued, which I gave to one of my friends for keeping and left the place without knowing the vital side of the entire activity.
Fast forward two months, I completely forgot about the registration, and by end of March 2020, when locked down was happening around the world due to Covid-19 outbreak, I got a follow-up call from DATRI saying I can be a key to open doors to second life for a little human. That was the time I sensed the importance of my donor registration and wanted to ensure that the call is genuine and immediately got in touch with concerned people from the Social Work Department who organized the camp at the campus. When I shared about my life-saving donor match, everyone there was happy and excited, and shared that they are waiting for so long to become a match. I realized that its a rare and unique opportunity to save a life. Then I decided to go ahead.
I was a unique match for a one-year-old diagnosed with Thalassemia Major. Initially, further proceedings were delayed as it was locked down, and the kid can wait. Meanwhile, I checked with my medico friends and prepared myself ready for the process. Everyone repeated the same response that I should go ahead without hesitation. The family was slightly concerned initially but managed to convey to them the importance and safety side of the process. Then came the long wait.
In mid-2020, again there was a follow-up from DATRI, and we discussed my time convenience and preferred time frame for the next step. As the exams schedule from the university kept on postponing due to the covid effects, we struggled to finalize a time frame without affecting the academic schedules. After long planning and discussions finally we chose the date for the life-saving act.
DATRI is India’s largest Blood Stem Cell Registry providing a platform for voluntarily willing, unrelated potential Blood Stem Cell Donors. They coordinate for the donor proceedings and facilitate Stem Cell Donation. The next step was a complete Health Check up to ensure donor safety. DATRI coordinated safe travel arrangements from my hometown in Ottapalam to Cochin for my medical tests at AIMS, Kochi. A friendly consultation with a Senior Hematology Doctor followed by blood tests, covid test, and check up was carried out that day. No donation happened that day, and I returned after all tests, then reports were delayed for two weeks. Once everything is normal with reports, then only Doctor will mark me eligible for donation.
We finalized donation dates close to Christmas and collapsed with exam schedules. By that time I moved to the hostel in Tirur, Malappuram for exams. We decided to proceed to the next steps parallelly with exams to avoid further delay. I started my five-day Injections during my exams in a way I can donate on the 5th day, the very next day of the last exam. Before donation, there are 5 Injections, one on each day, to bring your excess stem cells into the bloodstream. DATRI arranged a technician to come to my location and administrated injections for four days. On the 4th day, after giving my last exam, we traveled for the donation. During these four days, they repeated Covid Test for me, and on the 3rd and 4th day of Injections, blood counts were checked to monitor the stem cells in the blood.
Usually, Blood Stem Cell Donation is a process similar to Platelet Donation if your Peripheral Veins (veins in hands) are good. I had no good veins and opted for a Femoral Line Donation (veins from the leg). You reach the hospital the previous day of donation just like you check in to a hotel and have a good sleep. Next morning, you will be taken for donation, excess stem cells will be separated from the blood, and that’s it, You have gifted a life. A Blood Stem Cell Donation takes an average of 3-4 hours. You can watch TV or talk to fellow people in the donation room during the procedure. You can stay in the hospital that night again. That is the protocol to follow after using the Femoral Vein to ensure extra safety. Next day, you can check out from the hospital and go home. If there are good veins in your hands, you can go and donate in the 5th day morning (of injection) and go home in the afternoon post-donation, just like a blood donation, simple as that.
If you too want to register as a Volunteer Blood Stem Cell Donor, log on to www.datri.org/join and get the registration kit couriered: Fill up the forms, take a cheek cell swab, courier it back. Wait for your turn. It only costs you few hours from your life, some needle pain and kindness.
ACT NOW. GIFT A LIFE
About the Author:
Athulya Krishna is a Psychology enthusiast and Social Worker started volunteering with DATRI since 2015. She is now holding the role as a “Senior Associate – Donor Recruitment and Counseling” for Kerala. Being a Computer Science Graduate, Athulya was least intrested for a career in IT and finds passion in touching human lives. She is actively involved with creating awareness for Chronic Invisible Illnesses and Arthritis finds so connected with DATRI’s cause in finding someone’s final hope..