A daughter became a bone marrow donor for her mother, who has a rare blood disorder
In Lviv, doctors performed a family bone marrow transplant on 45-year-old Natalia Dzisyak from Ternopil, who suffered from a rare and dangerous form of aplastic anemia. Her 19-year-old daughter Kateryna served as the donor, even though their compatibility was only 50%.
The woman’s condition was diagnosed following a viral infection. Due to a failure of the immune system, her bone marrow stopped producing red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The patient’s condition was rapidly deteriorating, and the search for a fully compatible donor in international registries could have taken months.
According to doctors at St. Panteleimon Hospital, there was no time to wait. Natalia had already been diagnosed with a fungal infection of the liver, and due to her critically weakened immune system, even a common viral infection could pose a fatal threat.
The medical team decided to perform an allogeneic haploidentical bone marrow transplant from a donor with 50% compatibility. Before the procedure, the patient underwent a course of chemotherapy to suppress her immune system and prepare her body for the transplant.
After stem cells were harvested from the donor, the transplant was performed via infusion, similar to a blood transfusion. Following the procedure, Natalia spent nearly three weeks in an isolation ward under constant medical supervision.
It has now been a month since the transplant. The woman is being discharged home, and her condition is assessed as stable.
Source: First Medical Association of Lviv.
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