Sports paradise Gelsenkirchen: Over 2500 help Giuseppe in the fight against blood cancer!

Sports paradise Gelsenkirchen: Over 2500 help Giuseppe in the fight against blood cancer!

In the Sport-Paradise Gelsenkirchen, an impressive typing campaign for a seven-year-old boy named Giuseppe Mancuso, who suffers from blood cancer, took place yesterday. According to the WAZ , almost 2500 people came together to register as a stem cell donor. The rush was overwhelming: 500 interested parties were just one hour after the start of the campaign.

The parents of Giuseppe, Salvatore and Melanie Mancuso were deeply touched by this unexpected encouragement. Supported by friends and acquaintances, they had launched a WhatsApp group that has now grown to 130 people. Helpers offered delicious waffles, coffee and cake during the event to strengthen the volunteers. In height, the campaign could have collected up to 2000 test sticks to typing with the hope of finding 3-5 potential donors.

typing and stem cell donation

The typing carried out by 30 employees of the Bone Markspanner Center at the Düsseldorf University Hospital includes filling out a questionnaire for previous illnesses and a smear from the oral mucosa. The importance of these measures cannot be assessed highly enough. In Germany, four million people are now registered as potential bone marrow donors. The HLA features are stored centrally and made available worldwide, which increases the chances of finding a suitable donor.

The possibility of stem cell donation can consider people aged 18 and over, while typing is possible from the age of 16. A distinction can be made between two methods during the donation: the removal of stem cells from the bone marrow or the peripheral stem cells from the blood. The choice of the method depends on the patient's medical requirements, such as the age and urgency of the donation, according to the Stefan Morsch Stiftung .

methods of stem cell donation

When taking stem cells from the bone marrow, this is done under general anesthesia and takes about 60 minutes. Donors usually remain in the hospital for three days because an inpatient stay is necessary. The produced bone marrow fully regenerates within two to four weeks. Alternatively, the stem cell harvest can also be done on an outpatient basis through Apheresis, in which stem cells are taken directly from the blood. This method is less invasive and does not require inpatient stay.

The Federal Center for Health Education emphasizes the need for a preliminary examination in the withdrawal center one to two weeks before the donation. This preliminary examination and the removal itself are often financed by the recipient's health insurance companies, including the costs for registration and typing. These financial aspects can be an essential incentive for many people to make themselves available as a potential stem cell donor.

The great response to the campaign in Gelsenkirchen shows how important and necessary initiatives are in order to raise awareness of blood cancer and potential solutions. Giuseppe and his family can count on the support of an entire community that is willing to give hope and give life rescue.