Thousands of people are diagnosed with blood cancer, also known as leukemia, in Germany every year. Often only a stem cell donation helps. We accompanied a donor.
Cologne – Chiara Lauth lies relaxed in a bed and looks at her left arm. From there, blood begins to flow through an access to a machine that does its work with a loud rattle. Her gaze falls from the machine to her right arm. Another access was made there, through which the blood flows back into her body.
The reason for the intervention: Chiara Lauth donated stem cells for a person suffering from leukemia.
Blood cancer: Stem cell donation is often essential for survival
Almost 14,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer in Germany every year. It is the most common type of cancer in children. Patients can often only be helped by a bone marrow donation.
Around 11.5 million people worldwide are currently registered as donors with the German Bone Marrow Donor File (DKMS), in Germany alone almost 7.5 million. All donor files combined come to 35 million donors worldwide. However, it is uncertain whether they will ever donate. Only 0.2 percent of all registered people end up with a withdrawal. Because as many variables as possible must fit, otherwise the stem cells cannot work properly.
Chiara Lauth decided early on to donate herself
25-year-old Lauth decided early on to be a donor. “I was 17 years old at the time and I’ve always thought the topic was pretty important,” she says in an interview with wa.de. “When the DKMS approached me about the donation a few months ago, I was totally over the moon.” She is currently a trainee teacher at a high school and teaches Spanish and Latin.
The donation is made through peripheral stem cell extraction, which is now used in around 90 percent of donations. The required stem cells are obtained from the blood using the apheresis method.
Stem Cell Donation: The Apheresis Procedure
During the procedure, an access is placed in each arm vein. The blood is taken from one arm, similar to a blood donation. The stem cells are filtered out in a machine. The blood is transported back into the body through the other arm. The process takes around three to five hours. In most cases one session is sufficient. A second session is only necessary in exceptional cases. The classic bone marrow extraction from the pelvic bone is only rarely used.
The appointment was preceded by a preliminary examination to ensure the ability to donate. A few days before the donation, she began injecting herself with the growth factor G-CSF. This endogenous substance ensures a higher production of stem cells and helps flush them out of the bone.
The donation day starts early
Lauth starts at eight in the morning on the day of the donation. In the donation center, the doctors take blood from her, which is examined in the laboratory for the content of stem cells. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the duration of the withdrawal.
She is then taken to the collection room, which she shares with several donors. She is not allowed to leave the bed during the process. Then the procedure begins. The doctors place the two entrances for her. Two short pricks and the blood will start to flow through the tubes. The machines are noisy and do their work without a break. Lauth doesn’t bother all that much. “I think it’s really exciting what’s happening here,” she says.
Donor Lauth “definitely wants to help this person”
In her left hand she holds a ball, which she constantly kneads. This improves blood flow to the arm. She also watches films on her tablet and relaxes. “It’s really comfortable,” she says. “I don’t feel any of it and I have no pain.”
In an interview, she talks about her anticipation of the donation. “I was still worried during the preliminary examination whether I was really eligible,” she says. “I really want to help this person.” She looks at the machine again and starts to smile.
Doctors control the donation all the time
Doctors keep coming. They check the values, check that the machine is working and that the donors are doing well. In addition to the bone marrow, blood plasma is also filtered out. The liquids are collected in several containers on the machine.
All the time no incidents happen. Lauth remains relaxed, the only thing she finds uncomfortable is that she is not allowed to move.
One session is not enough
After a little over five hours, the session is over. Then the message: She has to come back the next day and donate again. “The stem cell content was too low,” she says later on the phone. “I was hoping I’d be through in a day, but that’s how it is.”
She felt a little dizzy after the session. But that was quickly over with a calcium infusion. “I was glad when I could move again,” she says. “But none of that is a disadvantage for me when I think that I might save someone’s life with it.”
The second time it’s faster
On the second day, the session was over after just three hours. She’s still fine. “However, the doctors said I should take it easy today,” says Lauth.
For the next two years, she will now be saved as a donor for the person concerned. If it is necessary again, she can donate again. In addition, she is not allowed to donate blood for the next six months. The person concerned will probably not get to know them. The country to which the donation goes has high hurdles in terms of the privacy of the sick person.
Chiara “would do it again and again”
After the two years, she is again available as a donor for others. “I would do it again and again,” says Lauth. “It’s an amazing feeling to know that I’m saving someone’s life. That makes me happy.”
The story of Yasar Akif Taskin shows that a bone marrow donation can save lives. The seven-year-old beat leukemia after three years.
Registration with the DKMS
If you want to register as a donor with the DKMS, you have several options. Next to the regular registration campaigns you can also simply have the registration set sent to your home. More information is available on the website dkms.de. You can donate up to the age of 61. After that you are no longer allowed as a donor.
