Sven, a family man living in Weicherdange, in northern Luxembourg, recently donated stem cells to a two-year-old child with leukaemia. The announcement was made by the Plooschter Projet initiative and the Stefan Morsch Foundation, which runs the country’s stem cell donor registry.
Sven had signed up as a potential donor about eight years ago. After the preliminary tests, the bone marrow was taken from his hip bone under general anaesthetic, a less common method, since around 90% of collections are made from the blood.
The donor said he cried when he learned he was a match and that he would like to hug his “genetic twin”. He encouraged others to sign up, stressing that any fear of the tests does not compare with the feeling of giving someone a second chance.
Since its creation, the Plooschter Projet has registered more than 22,000 potential donors. People can sign up at the association’s typing drives or by giving a blood sample at various laboratories and at the CHEM and CHL hospitals.
