Rela Hospital Performs Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplant Using Stem Cells Transported from Poland Amid Global Disruptions

A 23-year-old woman from Chennai diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, an aggressive, high-risk blood cancer, has successfully undergone Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant, a life-saving bone marrow transplant, at Rela Hospital using donor stem cells transported from Poland amid international air transport disruptions linked to the ongoing Iran conflict

Since a matching family donor was unavailable, the hospital sought support from DKMS Foundation, a global non-profit organisation that helps patients with blood cancers find compatible stem cell donors worldwide. The Foundation facilitated the international donor match and coordinated the safe transport of stem cells under specialised conditions despite major logistical disruptions. In a humanitarian gesture, DKMS also waived donor procurement and transportation charges amounting to nearly 11,000 Euros (nearly Rs. 10 lakh) considering the patient’s financial constraints.

The patient, an IT professional, initially experienced persistent fever, severe fatigue, weakness, reduced appetite, repeated infections, and prolonged hospitalisation. Evaluation at Rela Hospital revealed severely abnormal blood counts with markedly elevated white blood cell levels. Further investigations, including bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, cytogenetic studies, and advanced molecular testing, confirmed the diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The disease was classified as high-risk due to multiple genetic abnormalities known to make the cancer more aggressive, less responsive to conventional treatment, and more likely to recur. Considering the seriousness of the condition, doctors determined that a Bone Marrow Transplant was urgently required as a potentially life-saving treatment.