Chennai: World Marrow Donor Day, a day celebrated to thank blood stem cell donors who have already donated, and donors who are on a global registry waiting to donate their blood stem cells for patients who are in need of a life saving stem cell transplant, was observed recently.
A successful blood stem-cell transplant in 70 to 90 per cent of blood cancer patients may give them a second chance at life, depending on the disease condition and the donor type.
With a large amount of population unaware about the process, and myths associated, World Marrow Donor Day is also celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a blood stem cell donor and the impact of blood stem cell transplantation on a patients’ life.
In order to raise awareness and help Indian patients, DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit organisation is recruiting blood stem cell donors and working towards increasing the representation of Indians in the global database.
Its mission is to provide a second chance at life to as many blood cancer and other blood disorder patients as possible. As of now it has registered over 42,000 potential lifesavers.