Imagine a 3-year-old’s carefree life being disrupted by a life-threatening illness? For any parent, it is the single most heartbreaking news to hear about their child being diagnosed with blood cancer or blood disorder.

Urgent need for a lifesaver for 3-year-old Nithi

Nithi is a 3-year-old boy who loves building blocks and playing ball. He was diagnosed in August 2020 with an extremely rare Lysosomal storage disorder named Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). His body does not have an enzyme that is needed to break down large sugar molecules. As a result, the molecules build up in different parts of the body and cause various health problems. As there are no alternative medicines for his disorder, the doctors have informed the family that only a Bone Marrow Transplant from a fully matched donor is his only chance for survival.

Nithi underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) in September 2020 from his father as the haploidentical donor (half match). Unfortunately, it was not successful, and he is now in urgent need of a blood stem cell donor. Ashha, his mother says “we have not found any other fully matched donor for him thus far. His health has been in a critical state for the last one month and is currently recovering. He needs a fully matched blood stem cell donor as soon as possible”.

Nithi’s condition is deteriorating daily and is affecting his liver, spleen, kidney, eyes, ears, heart, and brain. If untreated, it will prove fatal in 1-2 years. YOU can help! A few minutes of your time could give Nithi a fighting chance at living a normal and healthy life like any other child.

Could you be the genetic match for Nithi or someone else in need?

How we can beat blood cancer together

DKMS-BMST has been working to find the right donor for patients suffering from blood cancer and blood disorders in India. So far, we have facilitated 32 blood stem cell donations. For a stem cell donation, the tissue characteristics of the donor must match those of the patient. When you join the stem cell registry you are on standby to be matched and potentially save the life of anyone with a blood cancer or blood disorder who needs a blood stem cell donation. You can be the right person and with your stem cell donation a real lifesaver.

Our videos answer the most important questions about registration and stem cell donation. Learn how you can register with DKMS-BMST and become a lifesaver.

DKMS-BMST donor's stem cell donation experience

How does blood stem cell donation work?

Good to know...

For many people with a blood cancer or blood disorder, a donation from a matching blood stem cell donor is their best chance of survival.

With blood stem cell donation, only blood stem cells are donated, not blood and matches are determined by tissue type, not blood group.

Your blood stem cells will completely replenish themselves within 1-2 days of the collection.

Many people in India can't find a suitable matching donor, as the Indian donors are underrepresented in the worldwide database.

Your blood stem cells will never be stored, they last for around 72 hours and are delivered straight to the person in need by a special courier.

You will stay on the registry until your 61st birthday!