Polish donor match helps SKIMS save 3-year-old

Performs first matched unrelated donor transplant

Irfan Tramboo

Srinagar, June 23: A three-year-old Kashmiri child suffering from a rare and life-threatening immune disorder has been successfully treated at SKIMS through a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor in Poland.

The doctors at the SKIMS said today that the transplant has become the institute's first Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD) hematopoietic stem cell transplant and has opened a new treatment avenue for patients with complex blood and immune disorders in J&K.

As per doctors, the milestone establishes Matched Unrelated Donor transplantation services at SKIMS, significantly expanding access to advanced transplant care within the region.

The child, diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare disorder caused by severe immune system dysfunction, required a stem cell transplant as the only curative treatment, doctors said.

As no suitable donor was available within the family, as per the doctors, the medical team searched international donor registries and identified a fully matched volunteer donor in Poland through DKMS, one of the world's largest stem cell donor registries.

The stem cells were collected abroad and transported to SKIMS following extensive international coordination.

The transplant was subsequently carried out by the Department of Clinical Hematology, while the child is recovering well, officials said.

Addressing a press conference, Director SKIMS Prof. M. Ashraf Ganie described the achievement as a landmark in advanced hematology and transplant medicine in J&K.

He congratulated the transplant team and urged people to register as stem cell donors.

"Many patients suffering from life-threatening blood and immune disorders can only be cured through stem cell transplantation. Public awareness and participation in donor registries can significantly improve the chances of finding suitable donors," he said.

A major factor in the case was the support provided by DKMS, which waived donor procurement charges.

Officials said the gesture substantially reduced the financial burden on the patient's family and helped facilitate access to the treatment.

Prof. Sajad Geelani, Head of the Department of Clinical Hematology, along with Dr. Reshma Roshan and Dr. Afaq Ahmad Khan, said Matched Unrelated Donor transplantation is among the most complex procedures in modern medicine, involving donor-recipient matching, international coordination, specialised laboratory support and intensive clinical monitoring.