41-Year Old Keralite Urgently Needs a Matching Blood Stem Donor

KOCHI:
Diagnosed with a rare blood disorder Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with multilineage dysplasia, 41-year-old Abhilash, is looking out for a matching blood stem cell donor. His only hope for survival is a blood stem cell donation from a person who matches his HLA (human leukocyte antigen) type. Abhilash Kumar, who was born in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, and currently lives in Delhi, works as a civil engineer to support his wife and 11-year-old daughter.

With the growing awareness about hematological disorders and increased access to advanced treatment, blood stem cell transplant plays an important role in the treatment of such blood disorders. Still in a country like India, most people are unaware that blood cancer can be managed, and a patient can have a second chance at life with a blood stem cell transplant.

DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders is coordinating the search for a matching donor for Abhilash. To reach out to people across India, DKMS-BMST has launched a virtual drive where one can register online to be a potential lifesaver and save patients like Abhilash. Link to register: www.dkms-bmst.org/Abhilash

Abhilash is undergoing treatment at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, his treating physician Dr. Neeraj Sidharthan, Clinical Professor, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Clinical Haematology & stem cell transplantation, Amrita Cardio-oncology Clinic says, “In India, every 5 minutes someone is diagnosed with a form of blood cancer or blood disorder. Many patients like Abhilash cannot survive without a lifesaving stem cell donation and due to the complexity of his disorder, he is in immediate need of a transplant otherwise his illness could worsen severely and develop into leukaemia. Presently, Abhilash is under chemotherapy and medications, but urgently needs an HLA-matched blood stem cell donor to undergo a stem cell transplant to get a second chance at life.”