Ranchi: A 27-year-old woman from Hazaribag, identified as Kriti Kumari, is racing against time while battling Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), a type of blood cancer, since the age of 13. With over a decade of treatment through medication, her condition has now reached a critical stage where only a blood stem cell transplant can save her life.She said, “My chances of survival now hinge on finding a genetically matched unrelated donor.” She is undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi. “I am told that a stem cell transplant is my only hope. I was first diagnosed in 2010 after suffering persistent fever and an enlarged spleen. With no oncologist available in my area then, I was referred to Ranchi and then to Jamshedpur. For several years, I was treated with oral chemotherapy at the Tata Main Hospital. In 2016, I went to Delhi for advanced care at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, where my treatment has continued since.“Dr Dinesh Bhurani with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre added, “Every five minutes, someone in the country is diagnosed with blood cancer or a severe blood disorder. Most require a stem cell transplant to survive. But due to the lack of Indian representation in global donor registries, the chances of finding a match for patients like Kriti are alarmingly low.”The DKMS Foundation said they have issued an appeal to Indians aged between 18 and 50 to register as potential blood stem cell donors. “The registration process is simple and non-invasive, involving a cheek swab. To register as a donor, visit https://www.dkms.org.in,” it added.
