- 15-year-old Banin Mohammad Humza from Iraq was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia three years ago.
- Her family approached several doctors in Iraq but the treatments provided were futile.
- Finally, hoping to get a matching donor, the Iraqi family arrived in India.
- After about a year of waiting, the family has found a matching donor in Germany.
- Stem cells harvested from a 25-year-old man in Germany was shipped to India for Banin's treatment.
- The stem cells were stored at minus 80 degrees for two weeks before the transplant.
- As Banin did not repond to any other treatment, the team of doctors at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences looked out for Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD), said Dr. Prashant Mehta, Bone Marrow Transplant specialist.
- Following a chemotherapy (to destroy her damaged cells), the new stem cells were introduced in her body.
- The patient is now under intensive monitoring.
- Due to risk of complications MUD transplant is a rare treatment option in India.
Source: Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Media Update