Chub. Luke is one and a half years old. After getting used to it, he only went to daycare for one day. Then he felt bad. In January he was diagnosed with the rare Langerhans cell histiocytosis. This disease affects the blood, skin, and liver.
“Everyone can imagine how their parents felt after this diagnosis. It must be terrible, ”said Madlen Gabsch, assistant to the management of the Partzsch Group. She was approached by her colleague Daniela Baryga from Pamo Reparaturwerk GmbH in Bitterfeld as to whether her colleagues in Döbeln would also participate in a stem cell donation campaign. “Pamo belongs to the Partzsch group of companies,” explains Gabsch.
Even if Bitterfeld is a bit away, the Döbelner colleagues are very affected by the fate of the little boy and his parents. “Our employees are very socially minded and are happy to help. That’s why I immediately agreed that we Döbelner would of course be there, ”said Madlen Gabsch.
Chemotherapy doesn’t work
Luke has had chemotherapy for the past few months. However, it didn’t work as everyone had hoped it would. A stem cell donation now seems to be the only chance for Luke to heal. However, there is still no suitable donor. “That’s why we want to help find it,” said Madlen Gabsch.
The group of companies would have loved to start a typing campaign in the factory. “After all, we are more than 500 employees. 150 are added again at the Pamo. With almost 700 employees, the network that can be activated for such an action is large, ”said the management assistant.
Unfortunately, this is currently not possible due to the corona regulations that are still in force. That is why Madlen Gabsch uses all the options available to her to draw attention to the stem cell donation campaign. This includes internal notices in the companies of the corporate group and the social media. She also gets support from the management.
Role model for colleagues
“The campaign has only just started, so I have not yet received any feedback from my colleagues. What is certain, however, is that I will allow myself to be typed, ”says Madlen Gabsch. You have heard of such actions many times. But now she has an important reason to register.
She hopes that many colleagues will follow her example. It’s not just about Luke, but also about other people who depend on such a stem cell donation.
“If the corona situation eases, we could perhaps push a typing campaign,” says the management assistant. In any case, the Döbelner colleagues keep their fingers crossed for little Luke that a donor will be found soon.
Registering is easy
First of all, those who take part in the campaign must register with the DKMS. “It’s very easy with the computer or smartphone,” said Julia Ducavdus from the German bone marrow donation (DKMS).
A declaration of consent and a registration kit will then be sent to you. This contains three medical cotton swabs. With these, a swab of the oral mucosa is made and the set is sent back. A stamped envelope is included with the registration set.
The sample is analyzed in a laboratory in Dresden and, after about four weeks, the relevant data is recorded in the index, which can be accessed worldwide.
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