stern TV - How stem cell donations save lives
Every 12 minutes, someone in Germany develops blood cancer. For many patients, a stem cell transplant is their only chance of survival. The stem cell donation also saved the life of stern TV guest Marc Franke.
But it not only enabled him to beat his leukemia, it also cured him of HIV - one of only 5 people in the world to date to do so. When he donated his stem cells, his doctors at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf specifically looked for donors who also carried a rare genetic defect that makes them immune to HIV.
Examples like these illustrate what a stem cell donation can mean for the lives of others. The German Bone Marrow Donor Center (DKMS) cares for the stem cell supply of patients worldwide and is permanently dependent on donations. Across Germany, they have around 7.5 million registered donors. The problem: This year alone, about 125,000 potential donors will leave the file in this country for reasons of age.
Broadcasting on 03rd of May 2023 at 10.35pm on RTL
Music: POPVIRUS Library