Diagnosed with thalassemia at 7 months, Pratham was cured after 7 years via a stem cell transplant from a stranger. His story highlights the urgent need for more bone marrow donors in India.
Just seven months old and Pratham바카라s world and that of his family was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with thalassemia major, a severe and inherited blood disorder. For nearly seven long years, his parents - Vijay Tulsiani and Pinky searched relentlessly for a cure, clinging to the hope of finding a compatible stem cell donor that could offer their son a chance at life beyond illness.
Tulsiani said that symptoms of the disease appeared when Pratham was just seven months old바카라his skin turned pale, and frequent blood transfusions became a painful routine. 바카라We were living in uncertainity,바카라 he said. Thalassemia causes the body to have less hemoglobin than normal. This can lead to anemia, fatigue, and other serious health problems.
바카라After running from pillar to post, we finally took him to Christian Medical College Vellore for a bone marrow transplant(BMT), but no matching donor was found within the family. Even Pratham바카라s two siblings marrow was not matching.바카라
After anxious wait of seven years, they received word from DKMS's bone marrow registry that a donor match had been found. DKMS India, is a non-profit NGO engaged in fighting against blood cancer and other blood disorders.
바카라Hope arrived when it was least expected, but most needed. On the birthday of Pratham바카라s mother, Pinky, we received news that felt nothing short of divine바카라a donor match had been found,바카라 recalled Vijay Tulsiani.
The match was not a relative or friend, but a complete stranger: Rohit, a 35-year-old pharmaceutical management consultant from Kanpur. After completing all formalities from Pratham바카라s and Rohit바카라s side, two-and-a-half years ago, Pratham underwent a successful bone marrow transplant at CMC Vellore, Bangalore.
On Tuesday, in a poignant and joyful reunion organised by DKMS, the little boy with twinkle in his eyes met Rohit for the very first time. Beaming with gratitude, the boy called Rohit his 바카라superhero,바카라 while Rohit바카라visibly moved바카라said, 바카라It바카라s an incredible feeling to know that I brought a smile to someone바카라s life. There바카라s no greater satisfaction.바카라
It began with a simple cheek swab바카라an act so small, said Rohit. However, I could never have imagined it would one day give a new lease of life to this boy hundreds of miles away.
The BMT not only cured Pratham바카라s condition but even changed his blood group from A to O바카라the same as Rohit's.
However, Pratham has been lucky enough to get a donor. Most thalassemia patients in the country are unable to undergo BMT due to the lack of matching donors in their families.
Dr. Esha Kaul, Director 바카라 Hematology, Hemato-Oncology, BMT, from Max Super Specialty Hospital, Vaishali said that there is a need to increase bone marrow donation registrations in India. Presently, only 1-1.5% of thalassemia patients actually receive bone marrow transplants.
Thalassemia continues to place an immense physical and emotional burden on children and their families, especially in India, where the incidence remains among the highest globally. While blood transfusions are a temporary solution, stem cell transplantation offers the only curative path forward.
바카라For many patients without a matching sibling, a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant becomes their only lifeline. The challenge, however, lies in finding that one-in-a-million match,바카라 Dr. Kaul explained.
She added that a stem cell transplant can offer a potential cure for thalassemia patients, replacing their damaged blood-forming cells with healthy ones from a donor.
바카라When Pratham first came to us, he was very young and playful. We gave him all the support and treatment, but a stem cell transplant was his only curative option. Luckily, he found a matched unrelated donor (MUD), and we could proceed with the stem cell transplant.바카라
바카라This case shows that thalassemia can be effectively managed with early diagnosis and proper medical interventions,바카라 pointed out his treating expert, Dr. Mithun Abraham Prakash, Assistant Professor in Clinical Haematology at Christian Medical College Vellore.
Dr. Nita Radhakrishnan, Additional Professor and HOD, Department of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, PGICH, Noida while noting that India sees over 10,000 children born with thalassemia each year asserted that 바카라this entirely preventable disease can be eliminated within a generation through one simple step 바카라 mandatory pre-marital screening for all couples. In most developed countries this screening is mandatory.바카라
In fact, for child born with thalassemia, regular transfusions are the norm, but a blood stem cell transplant remains the only curative option. 바카라However, the availability of matching donors, especially from Indian ethnic backgrounds, is critically low. Also access to BMT remains limited due to financial and logistical barriers,바카라 noted Dr. Mathew.
바카라From offering free HLA typing for thalassemia patients to providing financial support through our Patient Funding Program, we바카라re addressing key barriers families face in their transplant journey,바카라 said Patrick Paul, Chairman, DKMS India.
Paul explained that to register as a potential stem cell donor, one must be a healthy adult between 18 and 55 years of age. Registration requires filling up a simple consent form. A swab of the inside of the cheeks is taken to collect the tissue cells, which are then sent to a lab to be analysed for HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen). The potential donor is then listed anonymously on the international search platform for matching stem cell donors.
According to the reports, in the last four decades, India has had 17,651 bone marrow transplants from unrelated donors, with 27% (approximately 4,765) being for thalassemia patients. About 1,500 of these were made possible through unrelated donors.