Rohit Shishodia
A timely single platelet donation by staff nurse Surendra Sharma from Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, has kept hope alive for 12-year-old Mohammad Samir from Bihar who is suffering from aplastic anemia, a rare disorder in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells.

Samir is being treated in Delhi-AIIMS for the disease and is scheduled to undergo bone marrow transplant soon.

All of Samir's health parameters were required to be fulfilled for bone marrow transplantation. For this, there was the need for a single blood donor who can donate his or her platelets to the patient. Due to lack of a donor, the hopes of the patient and his parents were fading as they were unable to find a matching donor despite several attempts.  

Fortunately, through a Watsapp group that involves individuals from Delhi-AIIMS and other places and finds volunteer donors, Samir’s donor was found in Safdarjung hospital as Surendra Sharma.

Speaking to DTMT, Sharma said that he promptly readied himself to donate his platelets after receiving a call from the child (patient) himself. “The most important part of this donation is the blood group match of mine and his. I felt why could not I help him and save his life and be part of some good work. It was a voluntary donation.”

“All the parameters of the body should be normal before any major surgery because chances of bleeding during surgery are very high. And, for preventing the bleeding, you should have proper and adequate platelets. This could be only possible when you have a donor who should have single donor platelets which I had for him,” explained Sharma.

“I was willing to donate but the child himself dialed me and pleaded for the donation. I replied in the affirmative and donated my platelets,” said Sharma.

The child's father thanked the donor and said that donating blood or platelets should be encouraged. “I thank him and God for help. I hope my son will undergo bone marrow transplant soon,” he added.

Kanishk Yadav, Nursing Officer, Delhi-AIIMS, who mediated this platelet donation through the Whatsapp group, told DTMT that he has been working on blood donation for years. In the last three years, over 10000 blood donations have been done in Delhi-AIIMS, he added.