Real-Life Success Stories: How Stem Cell Transplant Saved Lives

Does life always offer second chances? Not often. But a stem cell transplant is a remarkable gift from modern science, bringing us closer to that possibility. With the ability to treat over 80 life-threatening diseases, these tiny powerhouses of hope (the stem cells) have become a lifeline for countless individuals and families.

In this blog, we’ll share a couple of real-life stories about how these stem cell transplants not only gave hope to families but also fulfilled their dreams of seeing their kids live a bright future. So stay with us as we unfold these heartwarming stories one by one. 

But first, let’s understand—’what does a stem cell transplant do’?

Stem Cell Transplant: Types, Benefits & More

Stem cell transplant is the process of replacing the patient's unhealthy cells with healthy stem cells from the donor. Such transplants can treat a wide range of diseases, ranging from cancer to blood disorders.¹

A stem cell transplant is of two different types, namely autologous & allogeneic. In an autologous transplant, a person’s own stem cells are given back to them after treatment. While this reduces the risk of both rejection and graft vs host disease, it carries some risks.² Autologous stem cells don’t exhibit the anti-cancer effect, which means the transplanted cells do not kill the remaining cancer cells in the recipient’s body, if any. There is also the risk of putting the person’s own cancerous cells back into the body along with the stem cells.²

In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, stem cells are transplanted from a closely matching donor, in most cases a sibling. However, finding a good match can be difficult for many people.² And that’s when cord blood stem cells can emerge as a saviour.

Stem cells derived from the umbilical cord blood can have several advantages over other stem cell sources such as:³

• Easy availability
• Ready to use samples
• Less stringent matching criteria
• Low risk of Graft Vs Host Disease

It’s for these reasons that experts strongly recommend banking your baby’s cord blood at birth—rather than letting this precious resource go to waste. And LifeCell offers you the best platform to do so. 

By banking your baby’s cord blood stem cells with LifeCell, you become a part of their community stem cell banking programme—a concept that combines the benefits of private and public cord blood banks. 

Top Reasons Why LifeCell Is The No.1 Choice For Parents-To-Be!

Banking your baby’s cord blood with LifeCell offers several benefits for expecting parents such as:

• Ready access to 75000+ cord blood units.
• >97% chance of finding an ethnic match.
• Unlimited sample retrievals at no extra cost.
• Unlimited financial assistance of INR 20 lakhs for every stem cell transplant. 

And so much more!

In the next section, we’ll share the inspiring stories of how banking their babies' cord blood with LifeCell became a life-changing decision for the families of Batul and Thamirabarani.

7-Year-Old Girl’s Victory Against Aplastic Anemia

Batul, a preschooler from the small town of Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) was only 5 when she was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia—a rare life-threatening blood disorder. Before the actual transplant, she was undergoing treatment in critical care with repeated blood and platelet transfusions to control bleeding. But there was no improvement in her condition. Owing to her deteriorating health, her doctor advised her parents to have her undergo an immediate stem cell transplant.

Batul’s parents, who were expecting another baby back then, decided to bank their second baby’s (Batul’s sibling) cord blood with LifeCell’s Community Bank upon medical recommendation. Sadly, her sibling was only a partial (50%) match and did not fit the donor criteria for a stem cell transplant. Nonetheless, enrolling with LifeCell’s Community Bank had given them easy access to thousands of stem cell units in the LifeCell registry and Batul was soon able to find not one but 2 matches!

Upon request by Batul’s parents, the two matching cord blood transplant units were shortly shipped. And Batul soon underwent the country’s first double cord blood transplant on 15th October 2020, which was a success! Within 18 days of the transplant, Batul’s white blood cells had been completely engrafted and her platelet as well as red blood cell production had also increased significantly. 

Today, it has been over 4 years and Batul is currently living a happy, healthy life, all thanks to the right decision taken by Batul’s parents at the right time.

Baby Brother’s Stem Cells Help Cure Sister’s Thalassemia

Thamirabarani from Coimbatore, was only 18 months old when she was diagnosed with Thalassemia, a condition her parents hadn’t even heard of until then. Left at the mercy of regular blood transfusion, the girl has little energy for other daily activities that kids her age enjoy. Her mother had to abort two subsequent pregnancies after Thamirabarani’s birth as both the fetus had suspected gene defects for the same disorder. 

It was only the third time when she got pregnant that good luck knocked at their doors. Thamira’s brother was a thalassemia-free baby (a fetus at that stage) and upon the doctor’s recommendation, her family decided to bank his cord blood stem cells with LifeCell. 

What initially seemed like a stroke of luck turned into a life-saving decision when Thamira’s brother’s stem cells were found to be a perfect match. After undergoing chemotherapy to eliminate the defective cells, she received a successful transplant using her brother’s healthy stem cells.

Today, Thamirabarani shares a heartwarming bond with her brother and is thriving in a thalassemia-free life, actively pursuing her studies with renewed energy and hope.

Summing Up

As it turns out, a stem cell transplant can bring back the glimmer of hope into the lives of individuals and families who might otherwise be struggling with crippling disorders. So if you’re an expecting parent, you should definitely consider banking your baby’s cord blood, which can not only protect them but your entire family against many deadly diseases in the future.

To learn about the stem cell transplant cost and its other potential benefits, you can call our toll-free number 18002665533.