In Bengaluru, Dr. Sunil Bhat of Narayana Group of Hospitals stated that the chance of a Russian man being a genetic match for an Indian boy in need of a bone marrow transplant is extremely low. Nevertheless, 17-year-old thalassemia patient, Chirag, was fortunate to find a compatible donor in 29-year-old Russian, Roman Simnizki, who had moved from Siberia to Stuttgart, Germany in 2005.
During a press conference on World Thalassemia Day, Dr. Bhat mentioned that the availability of blood stem cell donors in India is still limited, with only a little over a hundred thousand donors. The likelihood of Indian thalassemia patients finding a suitable match ranges from 5 to 10 percent. Chirag's successful match with Roman was considered almost miraculous.
The event, organized by DKMS in collaboration with Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST), brought Chirag and Simnizki together for the first time in 2016. Chirag expressed his gratitude towards Roman, emphasizing that he not only donated stem cells but also provided him with a future.
Simnizki shared that his decision to register as a donor was spontaneous, as he was approached for stem cell donation during a routine blood donation. He described the rare occurrence of finding a match in India as unexpected. Nitin Agarwal from DKMS-BMST Foundation India highlighted the challenges faced in finding unrelated donors for thalassemia patients in India due to ethnic diversity. He stressed the importance of dispelling misconceptions surrounding stem cell donation to encourage more donors to come forward.
Dr. S.H. Subba Rao from Manipal Hospital reflected on the advancements in thalassemia treatment in India, noting the shift from frequent transfusions to bone marrow transplants, which have significantly improved patient outcomes. Chirag expressed his transformation post-transplant, feeling like a new person with renewed energy. His father, Vikas, initially hesitant due to the limited success rates of transplantations, eventually proceeded with the procedure after witnessing positive outcomes in others.
Dr. Bhat underscored the simplicity and life-changing impact of bone marrow donation, emphasizing the need to increase the donor pool to meet the demand from thalassemia patients. Simnizki, a kick boxing world champion, expressed his fulfillment in helping Chirag, stating that witnessing Chirag's health and vitality was the ultimate reward.