Kansas City, Kan- Todd Dunlap, diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), found a bone marrow donor match in Silja Löw from Germany. After failed chemotherapy, he underwent a transplant using Silja’s cells.
Silja, a donor since 2014, was excited to help. The transplant was coordinated seamlessly, highlighting the global reach of donor registries.
Dr. Joseph McGuirk and Mindy Allen emphasized the importance of young, ethnically diverse donors, noting that white patients have a 79% match rate, while Black patients have only a 29% chance.
Silja Löw, Blood Marrow Donor
- Silja donated her cells in Germany, and they were transferred to Todd in the United States.
- She describes her donation process, including medical checkups and injections to increase cell count
- Silja explains the pain was minimal and was inspired to do this after a personal experience with leukemia.
Dr. Joseph McGuirk, Division Director Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Dr. McGuirk discuss the importance of younger donors and the complexities of immune system compatibility.
- He explains the higher success rate of younger donors and the complexities of immune system reactions.
Mindy Allen, Lead Blood and Marrow Transplant Coordinator, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Mindy discusses the high frequency of donors from Germany and Western Europe due to their commitment to donation.
- She discusses the challenges of finding donor matches, especially for patients of color.
