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Under 25 million donor-willing boy blood cancer patient finds her savior
Lara Casalotti, a young woman suffering from blood cancer, needed a genetic twin for a life-saving bone marrow donation. On the Internet, the patient started a nearly hopeless campaign - and was successful. Among 25 million donors willing she found the right one for her.
Blood cancer is often discovered by accident
According to the Cancer Information Service, around 11,500 people in Germany suffer from leukemia each year. It is said to be more than 900,000 worldwide. In many cases, blood cancer is only detected by a chance diagnosis. So also with Lara Casalotti. With her the complaints came slowly, as the news agency dpa reports. At first the leg hurt, then the hips. When the 24-year-old London student finally went to the doctor last December, the devastating diagnosis came: The young woman suffers from an aggressive form of blood cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As the doctors told her, she needed a bone marrow transplant within four months to survive. "That was a big shock," Lara said.
Stem cell donations can save lives in leukemia. (Image: crevis / fotolia.com) Bone marrow transmission as the only chance
The transmission of bone marrow is often the only chance to cure the dangerous disease. However, the patients need cells of a human with matching tissue characteristics, a so-called genetic twin. Among people of the same origin the chances of success are higher here. But the parents of the London student have Thai-Chinese and Italian roots. This ethnic mix made the search for a suitable stem cell donor significantly more difficult. Although there are more than 25 million registered donors worldwide, few have a similar genetic background as Lara, according to dpa. One third of the sick, many of whom are children and adolescents, say they have a donor in their own family. However, this was not the case with Lara, and even her only brother Seb did not qualify as a donor. The 24-year-old, like the majority of blood cancer patients, needed help from strangers.
Every fifth patient can not find a donor
According to the German bone marrow donor database (DKMS), the prospect of a suitable donor is not very high. Thus, every fifth patient generally does not find a donor. According to her relatives, the chances of salvation for Lara, with her special genetic background, were extremely poor. But neither family nor friends were discouraged and went on the proverbial search for the needle in a haystack. Using their "Match4Lara" campaign, they called people around the world via video messages, Facebook and Twitter to register as stem cell donors. Also celebrities such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and British Prime Minister David Cameron stood up for Lara - with success.
Life-saving campaigns
As the blood cancer foundation "Anthony Nolan" announced, reported in the UK alone within weeks more than 20,000 new donors. According to the organizers, the increase is "unprecedented". The registration is quite simple: cheek swab or blood sample are enough. According to the DKMS, the transplantation is usually carried out without surgery, the donors remain anonymous. Everyone can check on the website of the DKMS, whether he fulfills the conditions to become a donor. The DKMS sometimes even initiates campaigns to help patients. So they started together with the family of a nine-year-old boy from the Vogtland the campaign "Save Clemens" to find a suitable stem cell donor.
Found among 25 million matching donors
Not only in England, but also in faraway Thailand, Lara's relatives drove the campaign forward. According to the news agency dpa, monks, soldiers and students queued up to be included in databases. "The response was phenomenal," says Lara. She said that you had written people from all over the world and shared her own destinies: "It was very touching." In early February Lara finally found a suitable donor. "It's incredible and wonderful that this person is under 25 million," said the young woman in a video message on Youtube. "If everything goes according to plan, I can soon undergo transplantation," said the patient.
Register as a donor
Even after this great success Lara wants to continue. The young woman wants to draw attention to the bone marrow donation and above all to convey genetic twins of ethnic minorities. "It's really important that people register as donors," says the Londoner. "You could save someone who is in a similar situation as me." Stem cell donation can save lives. Her brother Seb is also relieved that the oppressive situation has become a life-affirming mission. "It is a shared success, the people have done something for Lara and thousands of others out there," said the 20-year-old, according to dpa. He encourages everyone to register. According to Seb, helping in this case is as easy as "spitting in a cup". (Ad)