Latest news with #stemcelltransplant
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Made-to-order ‘before midnight' transfusion helps save mother's life
A woman saved by a 'fake immune system' blood donation has described how her treatment has given her a 'lifeline' as she urged people to sign up to become blood donors. Fahreen Virani, 42, said her life came 'crashing down' when she was diagnosed with leukaemia last year. After chemotherapy she needed a stem cell transplant but was struck down by pneumonia which was not responding to usual treatments. As a result, Mrs Virani was told she needed a special 'before midnight' transplant of components taken from blood. Granulocytes are white blood cells which attack and break down bacteria, fungi and viruses. But they have a short shelf life and have to be given to a recipient before midnight the day after donation. Transfusions of granulocytes are made using normal blood donations but have to be quickly tested and processed before being rushed to hospital. Mrs Virani, a dentist from Waltham Forest in north-east London, said: 'I remember waking up early every day thinking 'are they here, are they here?' 'If you go past midnight, they have to dispose of them, they expire, that's why I was always so eager. 'I knew this would lessen the fungal pneumonia and that then I would be fitter and healthier so I could have the stem cell transplant. 'They drastically helped me to be ready for the transplant, they were a lifeline.' Mrs Virani, who has a son, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in February 2024 after noticing symptoms of tiredness, backache and low haemoglobin counts. 'I was terrified. I had a boy who was going to turn four two days later,' she said. 'We had a young family, we had just moved house, and everything came crashing down.' She had chemotherapy so her body would accept a stem cell transplant but the chemotherapy also prevented her bone marrow from making enough white blood cells, making her vulnerable to the fungal pneumonia. 'The doctors said that when someone has a stem cell transplant there's a 10% chance it will result in death but with the fungal pneumonia it was 30%,' Mrs Virani said. 'They treated me with antifungals but that didn't fully work, so that's why they started the granulocytes – it would give me a fake immune system.' Each granulocytes transfusion is made for a single patient. A standard transfusion is two packs, with each pack made from 10 blood donations. Fewer than 2,000 packs are sent to hospitals each year, NHS Blood and Transplant said. As a result of the treatment, Mrs Virani received her stem cell transplant in July last year. 'I can walk my son to school every day,' she said. 'We can go to Hyde Park and hire a bike. A few months ago, I never dreamed I would be able to do that. 'The donors whose blood was used for the granulocytes are in my prayers every night. I am so immensely grateful. I don't know where I would be without them.' NHS Blood and Transplant has highlighted low blood stocks in England and concerns have been raised over a dip in donors over the summer. Gerry Gogarty, director of blood supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: 'Your blood contains all kinds of components such as red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and white blood cells, which can all be separated out to save or improve several lives. 'So as well helping people with your red cells, the same donation could give someone like Fahreen a potentially lifesaving immune system boost. 'But to keep supplying hospitals this summer we need more donors. 'We hope Fahreen's story shows the unusual and unexpected ways that blood is so vital to the wider NHS. 'Our stocks are low and we need people to register and book appointments at
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Made-to-order blood transfusion helps save London mother's life
A woman from north-east London said her life came "crashing down" when she was diagnosed with leukaemia last year, but was given a "lifeline" when she was saved by a blood donation that acted like a "fake immune system".Fahreen Virani, 42, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in February 2024 after noticing symptoms of tiredness, backache and low haemoglobin chemotherapy, the dentist from Waltham Forest needed a stem cell transplant, but contracted pneumonia which was not responding to usual treatments. As a result, Mrs Virani was told she needed a special "before midnight" transplant of components taken from blood. "I was terrified. I had a boy who was going to turn four two days later," she said."We had a young family, we had just moved house, and everything came crashing down." Ms Virani had chemotherapy so her body would accept a stem cell transplant however the chemotherapy also prevented her bone marrow from making enough white blood cells, making her vulnerable to the fungal pneumonia."The doctors said that when someone has a stem cell transplant there's a 10% chance it will result in death but with the fungal pneumonia it was 30%," Ms Virani said."They treated me with antifungals but that didn't fully work, so that's why they started the granulocytes – it would give me a fake immune system." Granulocytes are white blood cells which attack and break down bacteria, fungi and viruses but they have a short shelf life and have to be given to a recipient before midnight the day after granulocytes transfusion is made for a single patient and a standard transfusion consists of two packs, with each one made from 10 blood donations. They have to be quickly tested and processed before being rushed to hospital."I remember waking up early every day thinking 'are they here, are they here?'"If you go past midnight, they have to dispose of them, they expire, that's why I was always so eager."They drastically helped me to be ready for the transplant, they were a lifeline."As a result of the treatment, Ms Virani received her stem cell transplant last July."I can walk my son to school every day," she said. "We can go to Hyde Park and hire a bike. A few months ago, I never dreamed I would be able to do that."The donors whose blood was used for the granulocytes are in my prayers every night. I am so immensely grateful. I don't know where I would be without them." 'Need more donors' Fewer than 2,000 packs are sent to hospitals each year, NHS Blood and Transplant said.A spokesperson added they were low blood stocks in England and raised concerns over a dip in donors over the Gogarty, from NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "Your blood contains all kinds of components such as red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and white blood cells, which can all be separated out to save or improve several lives."So as well helping people with your red cells, the same donation could give someone like Fahreen a potentially lifesaving immune system boost."But to keep supplying hospitals this summer we need more donors."We hope Fahreen's story shows the unusual and unexpected ways that blood is so vital to the wider NHS."
The Herald
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Light at the end of the tunnel for brave little girl
News Approval finally granted for Courtney Ashia, 7, to receive stem cell transplant in Cape Town Premium By Brandon Nel - 30 May 2025 All it took was a signature — one signature on a dotted line — to potentially save a little girl's life. After four agonising months filled with uncertainty, and relentless media advocacy over the past two days, the health department has finally approved the transfer of seven-year-old Courtney Ashia to Cape Town for a stem cell transplant...
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Donor found for Crawley girl with rare blood disorder
A stem cell donor has been found for a 10-year-old girl with a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder after a campaign to find a from Crawley in West Sussex, was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia in October after unexplained bruising on her a long wait, her family has now received the news that someone from the register of charity DKMS has been identified as a match after a campaign for more people to come mother, Mobeen, said: "You hear so much negative news every day, but seeing people respond as they have really restores your faith in humanity." She added: "If that person hadn't done a quick cheek swab and joined the donor register, we might still be waiting, and our daughter's future might still be hanging in the balance."Doctors said Amilah did not need the transplant yet, but could need one anaemia occurs when the bone marrow cannot make enough new blood cells for the body to work normally, making it harder to fight infection, stop bleeding or carry oxygen.A transplant introduces healthy stem cells into the bloodstream to help produce new blood cells. As Amilah - whose name means hope in Arabic - has Pakistani heritage, she is more likely to have a unique tissue meant she was less likely to find a donor on UK registers compared to patients from white, northern European doctors told Mobeen a stem cell transplant was the only hope for a cure for her daughter's condition, she called for more people from ethnic minorities to sign up to become cancer and disorder charity DKMS said just 2.4% of the UK population was on its donor register - with 16% being from ethnic minority part of World Blood Cancer Day on Wednesday, Amilah and her mother are urging everyone aged between 17–55 and in good general health to order a free swab kit on the DKMS website to be added to the register.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
'My life was saved by a stranger on the other side of the world'
A man with a rare form of blood cancer has travelled 10,000 miles to meet the stranger who saved his Melling, 31, from Melbourne, Australia, says he was "staring death in the face" before receiving a stem-cell transplant from Alastair Hawken, of Grantham, match between the pair was so perfect that the men now believe they could be distantly related, as both their families hail from Preston, Lancashire – the town they chose for their emotional first are sharing their story to encourage more people to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor years ago, Luke, who was then 28, was desperately ill in hospital with Hodgkin had been living with the condition since he was 16 and, despite being in remission four times, the cancer kept coming exhausting all other treatments, he was told he needed a transplant of stem cells – which can be found in the bone marrow and produce essential blood cells – to survive. But no-one in his family, and no-one in Australia, was a match, so doctors started searching global stem-cell registries for a donor."It was pretty much like, 'This is it – this is the only option you have. It's either this or you're going to die'," Luke says. "Finding out that my sister wasn't a match was terrifying – we just didn't know if there would be anybody registered who would be a suitable match for me."But then, after a six-month wait, Luke was told there was hope. The register had discovered a potential donor on the other side of the world."When we found out we had the perfect match, that was an emotional moment," Luke recalls. "I remember mum – she was in hysterics, crying."For Alastair, then 48, the phone call came out of the blue. A regular blood donor, he had signed up to the NHS registry in he was asked if he was still willing to donate, the father-of-three did not hesitate."It was no problem at all," he says. "What can I do, where can I be? It was nice to be wanted, or to feel that I could be of use to someone." Before the donation, Alastair was injected with a high-strength cell-generating drug. After a couple of days he could barely move, but he was told that showed the process was working and the body was "over-generating stem cells".He then went to a hospital for the stem cells to be "harvested" in a process similar to blood donation, while he was fed snacks and watched television."There's no discomfort," he says. "The stem cells are taken out and packaged up, and then they're counted in the laboratory – 85 million is what we needed for Luke, and that's what was taken."I felt amazing – my body was made up of fresh stem cells – and then my [harvested] stem cells went on their journey."The cells were cryogenically frozen within hours to be sent to Australia, where Luke was waiting. Luke had his transplant a month later, but all he knew about the donor was that he was a 48-year-old man from the was not allowed to contact Alastair until two years had passed and the treatment was considered that point, Alastair did not know whether Luke had survived."I just hoped. I hoped and prayed that he had," he then an email dropped into his inbox via the stem cell registry. "It was like all my Christmases had come at once," Alastair recalls. "It was a really beautiful moment."The men were put in contact with each other and finally met in Preston on told Alastair: "To have someone like you, who is so beautiful, lovely and kind, having done all this, I'm glad it's your cells. I just can't thank you enough."For his part, Alastair, who runs a gingerbread business, describes the donation as his "legacy".He told Luke: "If I achieve nothing more than just seeing that smile on your face, then I've achieved everything I need to achieve." Preston was a fitting place to meet as Alastair's grandparents lived in the town and Luke's family also have roots who is now 31 and back to full health, feels he can put the last 15 years behind him. He has even run a marathon."Meeting Alastair in person is a dream come true," he says. "What do you say to the person who has given you your life back by literally giving a part of themselves? "Me being able to get on that plane and fly across the world is possible only because of him."The moment I got to give him that huge hug and thank him in person is a moment I'll never forget."Alastair, now 51, hopes their story will encourage others to sign up to the stem cell registry."Meeting Luke today really brings home just what a difference that simple act can make," he says."I just wish more people would put themselves forward to be on the register to donate, whether it's platelets or organs or blood or stem cells – that is just the gift of life."There's nothing that makes you feel more complete as a human being – and when it's a success story, like it clearly has been in our case, it makes everything all worthwhile."Additional reporting by Paul JohnsonThe NHS is encouraging more people aged 17-40, from all ethnic backgrounds, to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, to give more patients a better chance of finding the life-saving matches they need. 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