Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai Achieves 78 Bone Marrow Transplants; Mother Shares Emotional Appeal For Donors

Ashwini Athalye from Dombivli, who has been caring for her six-year-old son Skandan after his bone marrow transplant, has made an emotional appeal for stem cell donation to help save lives.

“Last year in June, we were devastated to learn that my son was suffering from aplastic anemia and required a bone marrow transplant. We found two matching donors, but they refused to donate, which was heartbreaking for us. With no other option, my husband stepped in as a donor, even though he wasn’t a 100% match,” Athalye shared.

She spoke during an event organized by Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai (AHNM), which recently achieved a milestone of 78 successful Bone Marrow Transplants (BMTs). Dr. Punit Jain, Senior Consultant in Hematology and Hemato-Oncology, highlighted the hospital’s success, stating, “With a long-term success rate exceeding 70%, we have provided life-saving treatment to both adult and pediatric patients, including international cases. Our infection control protocols and expert teams ensure the best possible outcomes.”

Dr. Jain also explained the importance of stem cell donation and how easy the process is. He encouraged people to register online with registries available online, including, Marrow Donor Registry India (MDRI) or DATRI Stem Cell Donors Registry.

“The process is simple. Once registered, a kit is sent home for collecting a buccal swab from the inside of the cheek. This sample is analyzed and stored in the registry. When a need arises, the donor is contacted after analysing the cell’s compatibility with the patient, and if they agree, the stem cell extraction is done at a designated hospital through a non-invasive, painless blood donation process. The donor can walk back home the same day and continue with their routine,” Dr. Jain explained.

Dr. Vipin Khandelwal, Consultant in Pediatric Hemato-Oncology and BMT at AHNM, emphasized the need for a multidisciplinary approach in pediatric bone marrow transplants. “We have successfully treated a wide range of blood disorders, including leukemia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, severe aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and rare conditions like Chediak-Higashi Syndrome.”

One such success story is 14-year-old Shreya Chavan, who was diagnosed with thalassemia and had to undergo regular blood transfusions. Her mother, Sunita Chavan, shared, “Since the age of 12, my daughter needed frequent transfusions. A bone marrow transplant was the only way to free her from this dependency.”