In an effort to raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of blood cancer and the crucial role of stem cell transplant as a treatment option, DKMS BMST Foundation India, a leading nonprofit organisation dedicated to fighting blood cancer, has conducted a donor registration drive at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya. The drive aims to encourage young people to come forward and register as potential stem cell donors.

A press conference was organised in this regard today by the Bangalore-based DKMS BMST (Bangalore Medical Services Trust) and USTM to spread awareness regarding stem cell donation to give new life to blood cancer patients. The press conference was addressed by Dr Minerva Mary, HOD, Donar Request Management at DKMS-BMST; Mr Syantan Dutta Gupta, HoD, Doner Recruitment DKMS BMST; Prof GD Sharma, Vice Chancellor USTM, Prof Dr Biraj Kumar Das, Principal PIMC, and Mr Nakul Chandra Deori, Youth Officer, National Service Scheme.

Stem cell donor Gautam Kumar from Jharkhand also addressed the media and shared his experience throughout the process of donation, his happiness in being able to give a new life to someone. He said that due to lack of awareness mainly in the rural areas of India, people do not come forward to donate stem cells. He inspired the youngsters to participate in the drive.

Addressing the media, Dr Minerva Mary emphasised the critical need for more young people to join the donor registry. “Every 5 minutes, someone in India is diagnosed with blood cancer or a blood disorder like Thalassemia or Aplastic Anemia. Many such patients are children and young people whose only chance of recovery is a stem cell transplant.”

Mr Syantan Dutta stated that DKMS-BMST has registered more than 6000 potential stem cell donors in the North East region and out of this around 1500 are from Assam and 170 are from Meghalaya. “However, these numbers are not enough as many patients are waiting to find a suitable stem cell donor. To help these patients and many more we urge the young people to come forward and be a part of this drive. We urge them to consider this act of kindness and become part of the global community of stem cell donors”, he added.

Prof G. D. Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of USTM expressed his support for the initiative, stating, “We are glad that DKMS-BMST is making efforts to raise awareness about blood cancer and the importance of stem cell donation. Our university is committed to promoting the health and well-being of our students and the community. Together, we aim to create awareness among the community through students and hope that many youngsters would register as potential blood stem cell donors.”

To register as a potential stem cell donor, one must be a healthy Indian adult between 18 and 55 years of age. When you are ready to register, all you need to do is complete a consent form and swab the inside of your cheeks to collect your tissue cells. Your tissue sample is then sent to the lab to be analyzed and listed anonymously on the international search platform for matching stem cell donors. If you’re eligible, take the first step to register as a blood stem cell donor by ordering your home swab kit at www.dkms-bmst.org/register

Blood cancer, a group of diseases affecting the blood and bone marrow, has been on the rise in recent years. Stem cell transplantation is often considered a life-saving treatment option for patients suffering from these conditions. In this life-saving medical procedure, a patient's diseased or damaged bone marrow cells are replaced with healthy stem cells from a matching donor.