BENGALURU: In keeping with the theme of International Women’s Day, “Accelerate Action,” DKMS Foundation India encourages empowering women to take leadership roles in creating awareness about stem cell donation and registering as potential stem cell donors.

The Foundation also celebrates three remarkable young women who dared to choose an untrodden path and, in doing so, gave patients battling life-threatening blood cancer and blood disorders a second chance at life! Three families experienced profound relief thanks to their compassionate stem cell donations.

Only 0.09% of the Indian population of the relevant age group is registered as blood stem cell donors. Only a few Indian female donors come forward to register as potential stem cell donors and donate due to family and societal restrictions. Misconceptions about health and fertility often prevent women from taking this step. Additionally, lack of awareness and misinformation about the stem cell donation process discourage them. DKMS Foundation India works to dispel such myths and misconceptions so that more patients can find matched unrelated stem cell donors.

Patrick Paul, spokesperson at DKMS Foundation India, says, “Women are now emerging as key contributors to the lifesaving donor pool. Their decision to register and donate is not just an act of kindness but a powerful statement of empowerment and change. 31% of potential blood stem cell donors registered with DKMS are female, and we hope more women will join our lifesavers squad.”

Navya Dhatri Vadde (22), a student from Hyderabad, registered as a potential blood stem cell donor approximately four years ago, inspired by her grandmother’s battle with leukemia. When she got the call in mid-2024 that she was a match, her initial reaction was disbelief. She embraced the opportunity to save a life. Navya traveled to Bangalore for the donation with her sister, overcoming her family’s concerns. After the procedure, her family beamed with pride, and her friends, moved by her act, showed interest in registering too. “A small act of kindness can change a life. Donating my blood stem cells was a moment of clarity—knowing that my pain was temporary, but my recipient’s hope could be lifelong. To every woman out there, I would say we have the power to heal, save, and inspire. Let’s take that step towards a better world, one donation at a time.” says Navya.

Jahnvi Parmar (36) signed up as a potential blood stem cell donor at a registration drive organized in Pune in 2020. A few months later,  She got the chance to donate her stem cells.  Jahnvi says, “When I first registered as a potential blood stem cell donor, I never imagined I would get the chance actually to save a life. But when the call came, there was no second thought—I knew this was my moment to help. The process was surprisingly simple and non-invasive, and knowing that my donation could give someone a second chance at life made it all worth it. If more people step forward, we can make a real difference. Every registration counts.”

Loni Lipsa Sahoo (24), a lawyer from Rourkela, Odisha, registered as a potential blood stem cell donor in 2021 after coming across an awareness post on social media during the lockdown. She traveled from Rourkela to Bangalore for the donation, supported by her mother and the DKMS Foundation India care team. “Registering as a blood stem cell donor was an instinctive decision—I didn’t overthink it; I just knew it was the right thing to do. When I was told I was a match, there was no hesitation. The process was simple and non-invasive, but the impact was life-changing. I stood my ground despite initial resistance; in the end, my family stood by me, too. Knowing that my donation could be a turning point in someone’s life is a feeling beyond words. If we can save a life, why shouldn’t we?” Loni asks.

“By sharing these real-life stories, we hope to inspire more women to take this powerful step,” says Patrick. “Every donor added to the registry increases the hope for patients desperately waiting for a match. Together, we can create a future where patients do not have to wait in uncertainty and give them a second chance at life!” he adds.

The Urgent Need for More Stem Cell Donors

Every five minutes, someone in India is diagnosed with a blood cancer or blood disorder. Many of them are children and young adults whose only hope for survival is a stem cell transplant from an HLA-matched donor. Unfortunately, India faces a significant shortage of registered stem cell donors, especially among women.

A successful transplant depends on finding a donor with a matching HLA type, which is determined by genetic markers. Since HLA types are inherited, patients are most likely to find a match within their ethnic community. However, with Indians being severely underrepresented in global and national registries, the odds of finding a compatible donor remain low.

On this International Women’s Day, DKMS Foundation India calls upon young, healthy individuals aged 18-55 to register as potential blood stem cell donors.

Registering is easy. Visit https://www.dkms-india.org/register-now to order your free home swab kit and join the movement to save lives.

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BENGALURU: In a bid to increase awareness about blood stem cell donation, DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer, celebrates young women who recently donated stem cells. Recognizing women blood stem cell donors ensures more participation of young people in the stem cell registry, increasing the chances of finding a match and ultimately saving lives.

Sowmiya, a 28-year-old medical professional from Tamil Nadu, is an inspiring example of a woman committed to making a difference through stem cell donation. In March 2021, Sowmiya was matched with a patient. However, due to family concerns and COVID-19, she could not come forward for donations. Nevertheless, she was informed that she was the only person in the world whose HLA (tissue type) matched a blood cancer patient who desperately needed a stem cell transplant to survive. “The idea of being a lifesaving match for a patient was very captivating,” said Sowmiya. The patient could not find any other match and Sowmiya agreed to give a second chance at life to this patient after two years.

Sowmiya had some concerns and felt a bit anxious because her family was not supporting her decision, but the DKMS-BMST team addressed all her worries. They conducted various tests to ensure her health and well-being for donation, keeping her informed at every step and explaining the process thoroughly.

“Something so simple could potentially save someone’s life,” Sowmiya said. “I realized that the chances of finding a perfectly matched HLA type are one in a million, and I was ready and willing to be a donor,” she added.

Indians are underrepresented in stem cell registries. Increasing female participation can inspire others to follow. Their actions help create a more diverse and inclusive registry, boosting the chances of finding a match for anyone in need. “We hope Sowmiya ‘s story encourages more women to take this simple yet potentially life-changing step,” said Patrick Paul, CEO, of DKMS-BMST. “Together, we can build a strong and diverse stem cell registry offering hope to patients in need.”

Every 5 minutes, someone in India is diagnosed with blood cancer or a blood disorder like Thalassemia or Aplastic Anemia. Many such patients are children and young people whose only chance of recovery is a stem cell transplant. For a successful stem cell transplant, the patient needs to find an HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) matched donor. Most often, the majority of the patients are unable to receive a transplant due to the unavailability of a matching blood stem cell donor. With very few individuals signing up as potential blood stem cell donors, finding a matching donor is difficult. This increases the need for more people of Indian ethnicity to register themselves.

DKMS-BMST urges all eligible individuals to consider registering as stem cell donors. The process is simple and takes five minutes of your time.

To register as a potential stem cell donor, you must be a healthy Indian adult between 18 and 55 years of age. When you are ready to register, all you need to do is complete a consent form and swab the inside of your cheeks to collect your tissue cells. Your tissue sample is then sent to the lab to be analyzed and listed anonymously on the international search platform for matching stem cell donors. If you’re eligible, take the first step to register as a blood stem cell donor by ordering your home swab kit at www.dkms-bmst.org/register

So far, DKMS-BMST India has registered over 1,00,000 stem cell donors in the country, out of which 35,000 are women. DKMS-BMST has facilitated 110 stem cell transplants, out of which 14 donations are made by matched women donors, significantly impacting the fight against blood cancer. The organization aims to register more donors in India to give as many patients as possible a second chance at life.

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