Kharagpur : In an effort
to raise awareness about the importance of blood stem cell donation and inspire
individuals to become potential lifesavers, DKMS BMST Foundation India
organized a registration drive for stem cell donors during the 'National Students’ Space Challenge (NSSC),' India’s largest Space-Technology festival, hosted at IIT
Kharagpur.
Inspired by the
legacy of Kalpana Chawla, IIT Kharagpur continues to drive space technology advancement, and empower young talents to showcase
innovations and scientific curiosity under the theme "Fora Galaxia."
As the
festival's official social initiative partner, DKMS-BMST set out to encourage
students to become potential lifesavers by enlisting in the global registry of
stem cell donors. The response was overwhelming, with over 250 students registering and expressing
their commitment to this noble cause. The 3-day fest was a huge success with
eminent Dr. V. Narayana, Director, Department of Liquid Propulsion Systems
Center, ISRO gracing the event as the guest speaker.
In India, where
over 70,000 people succumb to blood cancer annually, accounting for 8% of all
new cancer cases, a blood stem cell transplant from an HLA (Human Leukocyte
Antigen) matching donor is often the only hope. However, only 25-30% of
patients in need can find HLA matching donors within their family, leaving 70%
dependent on unrelated donors, accessible through stem cell registries. Given
the significance of ethnic matching, the probability of Indian patients finding
a suitable stem cell donor is significantly higher when seeking donors among
fellow Indians.
Priyansh Agarwal, Sponsorship and Marketing Head, organizing
committee, National Students’ Space Challenge 2023, IIT Kharagpur, said, ‘’I am delighted that NSSC’ 2023
has joined forces with DKMS-BMST as the social initiative partner. We highly
value their contributions in aiding blood cancer and blood disorder patients.
We firmly believe in the immense potential of today's youth to inspire their
peers toward this noble endeavour. There is nothing more extraordinary than the
act of saving a life, and as an institution, we take great pride in being part
of an initiative that raises public awareness about the significance of
registering as a blood stem cell donor and its profound impact on a patient's
life.’’
Khalid, a stem cell
donor from Kolkata who selflessly saved a blood cancer patient by donating his
stem cells, was also present at the event to share his inspiring experience and
encourage students to register as potential lifesavers.
“We extend our
heartfelt gratitude to IIT Kharagpur and its dedicated students for their
invaluable support in orchestrating this registration drive. DKMS-BMST is
committed to hosting numerous similar awareness and registration campaigns at
educational institutions nationwide, with a particular focus on the youth
demographic. Their sustained presence in the registry significantly enhances
the likelihood of finding matching donors for patients in need’’ said, Patrick
Paul, CEO of DKMS-BMST.
Today, more
than 41 million potential unrelated donors are listed worldwide with stem cell
donor centres and registries, of which only 0.04% are Indians. This situation
can only be changed by recruiting more potential blood stem cell donors from
India. Registration takes only 5 minutes of your time. If you're between 18 and
55 years and in general good health, take the first step to register as a blood
stem cell donor by ordering your home swab kit at www.dkms-bmst.org/register
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