Stem cell donors wanted: Help for Friederike from Schwerin!

Stem cell donors wanted: Help for Friederike from Schwerin!

In the young history of Friederike F. from Schwerin, the diagnosis of leukemia is a drastic chapter. In May 2024, the 60-year-old received the life-changing message and was initially treated with chemotherapy. But shortly before a year, when it seemed promising, blood cancer returned. Now the brave Schweriner urgently needs a stem cell donation to survive.

In order to counter the fate of Friederike, your family and friends organize a registration campaign for stem cell donors. This will take place next Friday, July 14th, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. in the "Table Coworking & Café", Wittenburger Straße 16a. Here everyone between the ages of 17 and 55 has the opportunity to register as a potential donor. A support that could not be more valuable!

why stem cell donation?

As a reminder: In Germany, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer every twelve minutes. Around 22,000 people die from leukemia every year. The disease, which leads to uncontrolled increase in leukocytes in the blood, often requires a stem cell transplant to increase the chances of healing. If the donation is successful, the transplanted cells can grow in the recipient's bone marrow and donate new life. In particular, younger donors significantly increase the chances of success of these transplants - a point that could not only be crucial for Friederike, but also for many affected people.

The possibilities for donation of stem cell are diverse. Two methods are usually used: the peripheral stem cell removal, which is about 90 percent of the donations, and bone marrow removal, which is used in about 10 percent of cases. While the peripheral withdrawal is carried out in the clinic similar to dialysis, a piece of bone marrow is taken from the bone marrow removal under general anesthesia. Both procedures are very well organized and usually lead to the quick recovery of the donors.

an appeal to the community

The German Bone Marks Donation File (DKMS) lists falling figures on registered donors, which reinforces the concerns of leukemia patients. Just 25 percent of the registered donors are between 18 and 30 years old, but do 65 percent of the donations. It is all the more important to sensitize young people to this initiative.

So if you have a good knack for solidarity, you are welcome to come to the registration campaign in Schwerin. A simple step for potential donors can make up the difference between life and death for Friederike and many other patients. Let us make sure that the families affected will give hope and future again!

Further information on the stem cell donation can be found on the website of the dkms and ZDF .