Freising - Almost 4000 people took part in a typing campaign in Freising four years ago.
51 of them became lifesavers.
Lifesaver wanted! ”Under this motto, a large typing campaign took place in Freising on February 18, 2017.
The aim was to find stem cell donors for Noah from Freising and Niclas from Kirchdorf, who suffered from a life-threatening blood disease.
Today Noah and Niclas are healed - and 51 of the people who registered then became lifesavers.
Four years ago, the two were urgently looking for a stem cell donor.
But because every fifth patient is still waiting in vain for their genetic twin and many more voluntary stem cell donors are needed, the families of Niclas and Noah have one together with the Bone Marrow Donation Foundation (AKB) at the Weihenstephan Science Center and the Josef-Hofmiller-Gymnasium Organized typing campaign that is second to none.
Each family gathered a highly committed team that worked to ensure the success of the typing campaigns.
Based on these organizational teams, a wave of helpfulness spread across the entire Freising district.
Almost 4,000 new potential donors
It turned out to be a memorable day for the innumerable people involved, who committed themselves to the success of the campaign, because the number of stem cell donors who registered that day exceeded all expectations.
3682 new potential lifesavers were added to the AKB donor database in just one day.
Motivated by the extremely successful campaign in Freising, further typing campaigns took place, for example at the Audi locations in Augsburg, Singen and Ingolstadt.
If you include the new registrations of these campaigns, in the course of the typing campaigns for Niclas and Noah and others, almost 4,000 new stem cell donors have been added to the AKB's globally networked database.
51 life saving grafts
On the fourth anniversary of the campaign, an interim balance has now been drawn up, which has turned out to be overwhelming.
According to the AKB, 51 people from the donor pool obtained in spring 2017 have already donated their healthy stem cells to a patient.
The life-saving transplants were transported to 17 different countries: 26 donations remained in Germany.
Seven grafts went to the US and Canada.
The remaining expected patients in various European countries, in Turkey and in Israel.
From the feedback from the transplant clinics, it is known that 20 of these patients actually got over their disease.
There are still no notifications of 21 patients.
So there is hope that they too could be saved.
Unfortunately, there are countries that do not provide information about the patient after the transplant, which is very bitter for the donors, because after all they take a lot to help a stranger and possibly to give them a new life.
Fortunately, Niclas and Noah found exactly such people.
In April 2017, both were transplanted with healthy stem cells from a suitable donor.
It was a very difficult, stressful time, but they fought their way back to life.
Noah studies sport, Niclas medicine
Noah, who is now 24 years old, has resumed his sports studies and would like to work in physiotherapy after graduating.
When asked what he missed most during his stay in the clinic, he replied: “I was most looking forward to just doing what I wanted again without restrictions.
Spending time with my friends, traveling, going out in the evening and playing football. ”He hardly thinks about the time in the clinic anymore:“ Sometimes I even forget that I was in this situation at all.
Every now and then I have moments when I think back to that time, that makes me a little bothered, but it just makes me realize all the more what is actually important in life and how well I am now again. “Noah is already in contact with“ his ”donor and hopes that the Corona situation will soon allow them to get to know each other for the first time.
He's really looking forward to it.
The 20-year-old Niclas is now studying medicine and works as a paramedic in the rescue service.
He is overjoyed that he can practice his hobby again: swimming.
“A special moment was when I was able to swim back to my times like before the illness.” For him, it is particularly important “to just lead a completely normal life again”.
Met donors in New York
Unlike Noah, Niclas was even able to get to know "his" donor: The 37-year-old family man is called Raymond and had spontaneously decided to travel from New Mexico to New York when he found out that Niclas and his family would be spending a few days there .
Niclas recalls: “On August 11, 2019, we met in person for the first time in the middle of New York.
My heart was pounding and I was so excited.
An indescribable feeling. ”He emphasizes:“ Although it was actually a 'complete stranger', when we first hugged it, it seemed to me as if we had known each other forever.
I will never forget this day. "
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Something was going on: In the Weihenstephan Science Center (photo) and in the Josef-Hofmiller-Gymnasium, a total of 3682 people were typed on February 18, 2017.
© AKB
Call for typing
Niclas and Noah urge everyone who is not yet registered as a stem cell donor to get typed: Registering gives you the chance to save lives and help those who are sick to return to their old life. "I think that should be enough motivation to register and then donate if necessary, ”says Noah.
For Niclas it is clear: “Anyone who can be typed can give the most important and valuable gift in the world - life.” He emphasizes: “It depends on each individual, as stem cell donation depends on far more factors than, for example the blood donation.
As with me, it can sometimes be extremely difficult to find the right donor. "
It is so easy to become a potential lifesaver: Anyone who is healthy between the ages of 17 and 45 can order a lifesaver set for typing at www.akb.de.
It comes home free of charge and contains everything you need to register as a stem cell donor.
Blood donors have another option.
Because at every blood donation appointment of the BRK, you can be included in the AKB file as a stem cell donor.
The blood donation team only takes one extra tube of blood.
Dates can be found at www.blutspendedienst.com.
Also read: “People get tired”: Freising's police have to move out every day to violate contact restrictions
