Finding a genetic twin: a meeting between a bone marrow donor and its recipient took place at the RUSSIA EXPO

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The meeting between bone marrow donor Temerlan Abdulaev and recipient Alexandra Sakhnenko took place at the RUSSIA EXPO on National Donor Day at the venue of the Russian Ministry of Health's exposition "In the Service of Health!". The communication was organized in an online format — according to the current rules in the medical community, they cannot meet for two years. All the donor and patient know about each other is gender and age.

"After joining the Bone Marrow Donor Registry, I literally waited every day for my genetic twin to be found — I had always been curious about it. The call came three years later — it made me rethink my life," Temerlan Abdulaev shared.

"Temerlan turned out to be the only person who was able to save me. I experienced all the feelings one can experience — joy, fear, endless happiness and gratitude," Alexandra Sakhnenko added. 

Bone marrow transplantation becomes the last chance for patients with oncologic blood diseases, when other methods of therapy do not work, said Olga Alyoshina, hematologist, head of the cell and immune therapy department of the National Medical Research Center of Hematology of the Ministry of Health of Russia. She also spoke about the procedure of bone marrow intake.

"About 25 thousand people in Russia annually face diseases of hematopoietic tissues and lymphatic system. About five thousand people out of them need transplantation. Bone marrow can be obtained either from family members or from unrelated donors. In the latter case, the chance of compatibility is 1:10,000. The Russian register of bone marrow donors helps in finding a suitable donor. As of today, there are 334 thousand people in it, and it continues to grow," said Olga Alyoshina.

No less important is donor blood — it cannot be replaced by anything, as it is a prerequisite for the survival of many patients, said Tatiana Gaponova, a transfusion doctor, First Deputy Director General of the NMRC of Hematology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, chief out-of-state transfusion specialist of the Ministry of Health of Russia. She told about the procedure of blood donation and explained the current rules.

"For many people, donor blood is the only chance to survive. Today it cannot be replaced by anything. Without it, no high-tech treatment methods, targeting agents will not help save the patient's life. It just has to be there. That is why donation is mutual help and a 'silent feat' for the sake of others," said Tatiana Gaponova.