Analysis results The story of little Arina’s recovery, a patient at the Mother and Child Center UMC, is inextricably linked with her older brother Bogdan. At birth in 2020, doctors identified a rare form of hereditary anemia in the girl, in which the process of hemoglobin formation is disrupted. Together with her mother, Arina spent several months in the children’s hospital at her hometown, receiving treatment. However, the hemoglobin levels and the girl’s health continued to deteriorate. A consultation with UMC specialists revealed that the only chance to survive was bone marrow transplantation in Astana. Her brother became a compatible donor for her.
Bone marrow is a hematopoietic tissue that is located in large bones. The bone marrow contains stem cells, from which blood cells are formed: erythrocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, and other components. If it is unable to form new cells, bone marrow transplantation from a healthy donor compatible with the HLA system may be required. The probability of finding a donor among the patient’s blood relatives is higher than among unrelated donors.
The search and selection of a donor does not always end successfully, as maximum compatibility in medical terms is important. In Arina’s case, her own brother became such a compatible donor. As a 6-year-old boy, Bogdan bravely agreed to the operation, making his mother promise “not to return to the hospital with his sister anymore.” The boy had positive attitude about the operation, and understood the importance of saving the baby. Bone marrow transplantation was successfully performed in November 2022 at the UMC clinic. During the operation, Bogdan was under anesthesia, and his subsequent recovery was rapid.
“After talking to the doctors, I realized that we have no other choice. It was scary, but after going all this way, looking at the kids, I realize that it’s not all in vain. We hope that our story will help someone gather their strength and courage on such a difficult step,” the children’s mother shared. Today, 4-year-old Arina is healthy, attends kindergarten and feels great. With the permission of doctors, the girl receives vaccines missed at birth and lives happily with her family.
“The Mother and Child Center UMC has been performing bone marrow transplantation since 2012. During this time, more than 200 operations were performed on children. The stem cell collection procedure itself is safe for a donor. Previously, severe forms of anemia led to death in early childhood. However, the situation has changed in recent decades, as bone marrow transplantation, if successful, helps to normalize hematopoiesis,” said Arailym Adilova, an oncologist and hematologist at the UMC clinics.
According to current statistics, about 300 people, including children, need stem cell transplantation in Kazakhstan every year. If there is a discrepancy or absence of a donor among relatives, the search continues among people who have expressed a desire to become a donor and are listed in the national register. Today, 11 thousand people have been officially entered into the register. However, the probability of finding a suitable DNA donor is extremely low: 1 in 10,000 people.
The Bone Marrow Donation Registry is an information platform containing data on potential bone marrow donors who, on a voluntary and gratuitous basis, are ready to provide assistance and donate their stem cells to patients in need of transplantation. Bone marrow donors can be citizens from 18 to 45 years old who have not had hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, malaria, oncological diseases, and are not infected with HIV. You can enter your data into the register through the Blood Center in your city of residence by filling out a questionnaire and taking a blood test to determine the HLA phenotype.
