According to the Red Cross, three people in Austria get blood cancer every day. A stem cell donation is often the only way to survive. Finding a suitable donor is difficult, the chance is one in half a million. To increase the pool of potential donors, conscripts will have to register as a stem cell donor in the future.
Young people in particular are in high demand as potential stem cell donors because the rate of blood cell division in the bone marrow decreases with age. That is why the army comes into the picture, where a large number of young people can regularly be addressed, said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) on Monday at a joint press conference with Red Cross president Gerald Creator. “Soldiers can save lives, and not just in action,” Tanner said, also referring to the blood donation that has been common until now.
Red Cross emphasizes: ‘Effort is small’
“The registration effort is small, but can be life-saving,” emphasizes Creator. 90 percent of patients find a donor. The search takes an average of 24 days. Lions Club International reimburses the costs of typing the cheek swabs.
Four-year-old saved by donation
At the press conference, four-year-old Michael from Bruck an der Leitha demonstrated how life-saving a stem cell donation can be. The boy was diagnosed with leukemia when he was six months old. After several rounds of chemotherapy, a stem cell donation was necessary to prevent recurrence. Thanks to the donation of a 19-year-old German, the family’s “nightmare” is over, the four-year-old lives today without long-term effects like most of his peers, as father Stefan said.
Currently, about 30 million people worldwide are registered as potential stem cell donors. In Austria, 118,658 people are currently registered in the national register. Healthy people between the ages of 18 and 35 can register. The donation is possible up to the age of 55. Stem cells are usually taken from the blood, only in one tenth case only a bone marrow donation is required.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
