Chennai Man Reunites with Stem Cell Donor Two Years After Life-Saving Transplant for Rare Blood Disease
Chennai: Nearly two years after undergoing a life-saving stem cell transplant for a rare blood disorder, a 40-year-old man from Chennai met the donor who helped save his life for the first time.
The meeting was facilitated by DKMS Foundation India, a non-profit organisation that works to support patients with blood cancer and blood disorders, including thalassemia and aplastic anaemia, by maintaining a blood stem cell donor registry.
Years of Illness Before Diagnosis
The recipient, Samnu John, a marketing manager from Chennai, had been suffering since 2017 from persistent high fever, swelling, skin rashes and severe fatigue. Despite multiple hospital visits, the cause of his illness remained undiagnosed for several years.
In January 2022, after his platelet count dropped to a critically low level, he was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), where doctors diagnosed him with severe aplastic anaemia, a rare condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Search for a Matching Donor
As a stem cell transplant was identified as the only curative treatment, doctors began searching for a compatible donor.
No suitable match was found among Samnu’s family members or friends. After an 18-month search, a compatible donor was identified through the DKMS Foundation India registry. The donor was Paritosh, a 25-year-old resident of New Delhi.
A medical team led by Dr. Aruna Rajendran, Haemato-Oncologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Physician at Madras Medical College/RGGGH, performed the transplant to restore normal blood cell production.
Following the procedure, Samnu made a full recovery and has since resumed his work as a marketing manager.
Doctor Highlights Need for Donor Awareness
Dr. Aruna Rajendran said severe aplastic anaemia is a rare and life-threatening disease that can lead to bone marrow failure, leaving patients vulnerable to infections, uncontrolled bleeding and extreme exhaustion.
She noted that a stem cell transplant remains the only curative treatment for many patients and said it took nearly 18 months to find a suitable donor for Samnu. She added that increasing awareness and strengthening donor registries are essential to help more patients receive timely transplants.
Donor Shares His Experience
Paritosh, who had previously registered as a stem cell donor with DKMS Foundation India after learning about a family searching for a donor, said he was surprised when he was contacted as a match.
He said many people mistakenly believe stem cell donation involves major surgery, whereas in most cases stem cells are collected from the bloodstream through the arms. He expressed hope that his experience would help dispel misconceptions about the donation process.
Paritosh travelled from New Delhi to Chennai to meet Samnu for the first time nearly two years after the transplant.
Call for More Stem Cell Donors
Patrick Paul, Executive Chairman of DKMS Foundation India, said patients in Tamil Nadu often face genetic and socio-economic challenges in finding compatible stem cell donors.
He said increasing the number of registered donors, particularly from under-represented communities in Tamil Nadu, would improve the chances of finding suitable matches for patients awaiting transplants.
DKMS Foundation India stated that many patients rely on unrelated donor registries because matched sibling donors are often unavailable.
According to the organisation, individuals between 18 and 55 years of age, in good general health, with a BMI below 40, and who are not already registered as stem cell donors, are eligible to register as potential blood stem cell donors.
