KOZHIKODE: The newly-weds celebrate their marriages in many ways, but blood stem cell donation to start off their life is rare. But a couple from Kuthiravattom, Kozhikode, opted for this rare gesture and made their wedding reception a memorable one at the JDT Islam auditorium on Saturday. Aneesh and Archana Kurup, both employed in Qatar, started the donation drive soon after the cake cutting ceremony and the guests were also invited to the counter arranged by Datri Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry, a non-profit organisation that builds the database of willing donors.
“Ours was a much-awaited marriage. So, we wanted to make it more meaningful and discussed the idea with my brother, who runs an NGO - Arm of Joy-- and arranges charity works among needy people. We decided to launch a stem cell donation drive that is yet to get popularised here. Since around 2,500 people were expected to attend the ceremony, we planned to bring at least one-fourth of them to the counter,” said Mr Aneesh, community outreach specialist for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The samples were taken at the venue itself and personal information was filled by the representatives of Datri from Kochi. Datri does it to save the lives of those suffering from life threatening blood disorders like blood cancer, thalassemia, aplastic anaemia etc. “A blood stem cell transplant can save the lives of such patients. With very few registered donors available in India, the possibility of finding a match for an Indian anywhere in the world is bleak. Since there is only 25 per cent chance of finding a match from within the family, many of them have to depend on unrelated donors from registries like Datri,” said an official.
