They are complete strangers to each other, and they have even more in common than blood ties, because each gave life to the other by giving a small part of themselves. The meeting of genetic twins took place on the occasion of the National Marrow Donor Day, which is celebrated on October 13.
Romana is a bone marrow donor and Rafał is a recipient. Their genotype brought them together. On Friday, they met 11 years after the successful transplant. – Now I'm happy because I have everyone – I have Romana, I have a family – said Rafał Krysiak. – It's great satisfaction and happiness that we had such an opportunity to get to know each other – commented Romana Kozłowska.
Bogusław and Andrea also saw each other for the first time on Friday. A patient from Germany owes her life to a Pole. – I celebrate every day. I couldn't live without Boguś and his decision to donate bone marrow – emphasized Andrea Wagner.
There are 14,000 people in Poland who received a phone call informing them that they could save someone's life. – I was at work when the phone rang. I had several missed calls from a landline number and I thought they were selling pots. But I finally answered and when I heard what it was about, it was good that I had a chair behind me, because I immediately sat down – recalls Kamila, a bone marrow donor.
The meeting of bone marrow donors and recipients took place on the occasion of the National Marrow Donor Day, celebrated on October 13.
The DKMS Foundation celebrates its 15th anniversaryTVN24
How can you become a donor?
There are 2 million donors who are waiting for such a call, i.e. they have given their swab and are listed in the database. – We still have a lot to do, although it must be said that this is the only area – bone marrow donation – in which Poland is a superpower. It is one of the five countries in the world most endowed with donors – notes prof. Wiesław Jędrzejczak from the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Internal Diseases of the Independent Public Central Clinical Hospital in Warsaw.
The DKMS Foundation has a huge part to play in this, and has been fighting for 16 years to get as many Poles as possible to register in the database. – Registration is very simple. This is a swab from the inside of the cheek and filling out a form – explains Magdalena Przysłupska from DKMS Foundation. – It is not painful, it does not cost us anything, and for those who are waiting, it is the gift of life – emphasizes Szczepan, a bone marrow donor.
Marrow is collected in two ways: either from blood, which takes several hours, or from the iliac plates, in which case the hospital stay is extended to two or three days. And what is downloaded sometimes goes several kilometers away, and sometimes travels halfway around the world. – This is a field of medicine that is based on cooperation, sometimes between hostile countries – emphasizes Prof. Wiesław Jędrzejczak.
Main photo source: Fakty TVN