DKMS Funds Lifesaving Bone Marrow Transplant Unit for Children in India

Tübingen, 10 February 2025. On February 7 and 8, 2025, DKMS, globally recognized for managing the world's largest stem cell donor database, partnered with Sankalp India Foundation to celebrate the inauguration of a new BMT facility at Health1 Super Speciality Hospital in Ahmedabad. Designed to meet the growing demand for stem cell transplantations in the region, the new center includes 10 specialized pediatric BMT beds, alongside essential apheresis, care facilities and an outpatient center. More than 26 professionals, including 4 doctors and 14 nurses, will ensure best possible care for patients. The project reflects DKMS's holistic approach to fighting blood cancer and blood disorders by improving access to transplantation in low- and middle-income countries.

Addressing a critical need in India

India faces a pressing healthcare challenge: over 12,000 children are born each year with thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder that causes severe anemia. These children often require lifelong blood transfusions, and without proper treatment, many do not survive beyond the age of 20. Bone marrow transplantation offers the only curative option, but access remains limited due to financial and logistical barriers.

To bridge this gap, DKMS has teamed up with the nonprofit Sankalp India Foundation to establish the new transplant unit in Ahmedabad. DKMS has committed 31.15 million Indian rupees (approximately 350,000 euros) to fund the initiative, which is managed by Sankalp with medical advisory support from Cure2Children.

"By funding the BMT unit in Ahmedabad, we are bringing lifesaving care closer to home, reducing barriers to treatment, and supporting families who might otherwise have to travel long distances. We dream of giving every child suffering from thalassemia in India a second chance at life – a chance to smile, grow, and embrace the future they deserve."

Expanding lifesaving access

The new center replaces an older, smaller facility in Ahmedabad that could no longer meet the region's increasing demand for care. It is the second BMT unit in India funded by DKMS, in memory of Mechtild Harf, the late wife of DKMS founder Peter Harf.

The first BMT unit in Bangalore, established in 2021 and also operated by Sankalp in collaboration with Cure2Children, has already had a positive impact on more than 460 children with thalassemia. These efforts are part of DKMS's international Capacity Building Program and its "Access to Transplantation" initiative, aimed at improving conditions for patients in low- and middle-income regions who would otherwise lack access to this lifesaving treatment.

A story of hope: Tanvi

The impact of this initiative is best reflected in the story of Tanvi, a young girl diagnosed with thalassemia at just six months old. Born into a family facing daily financial struggles, her father – an auto-rickshaw driver – worked tirelessly to provide for them. For Tanvi, routine blood transfusions became a lifeline, but as the financial burden grew overwhelming, her father desperately sought help.

Thanks to free HLA typing, funded by DKMS and facilitated by Sankalp, a genetic match – and the foundation for a stem cell transplant – was found: Tanvi's own sister, Dhanvi. With renewed hope, the family accessed the BMT procedure at the former Ahmedabad unit, a turning point in Tanvi's battle against the disease. Today, five years after her transplant, 16-year-old Tanvi is thriving – a joyful child who loves dancing and embraces life with newfound energy.

In addition to receiving the transplant, Tanvi's family benefited from DKMS's Patient Funding Program, which helped ease the financial strain of the procedure, ensuring she got the care she needed.

"Our collaboration with DKMS has transformed the lives of more than 570 children in India since 2018," says Rajat Kumar Agarwal, President of Sankalp. "With the new and expanded unit in Ahmedabad, where up to 120 children can be treated every year, even more children can be saved and return to a happy life. It represents hope and a brighter future for families facing the challenges of thalassemia."