1000 transplants and new beginnings: Thalassemia patients get a second chance

On Friday, Sankalp along with international non-profit organization DKMS and medical partner Cure2Children Foundation completed 1,000 stem cell transplants for children suffering from thalassemia. | Image to illustrate | Photo credit: jarun011

When Muhammad Shaheem (17) from Karnataka was diagnosed with thalassemia major at just five months old, regular blood transfusions became a part of his childhood. However, years of transfusions had led to severe iron overload affecting his heart and liver, making a stem cell transplant a particularly high-risk procedure.

A possible way out came from within his own family when Shaheem’s younger sister Zara, 7, was identified as a complete human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match donor. After extensive preparation and counseling at the Sankalp-Bhagwan Mahavir Jain Hospital in Bengaluru, his family decided to proceed with the transplant.

Their mother Zareena, who lives with thalassemia major, said: “I am continuing with treatment and regular blood transfusions. Although it was a difficult decision for my son, in the end it gave my son a second chance at a better life without the disease bothering him too much.”

Mr. Shaheem is among the 1,000 children who have undergone pediatric stem cell transplants with the help of Sankalp India Foundation, DKMS and Cure2Children. The procedure is risky and expensive, with treatment costs ranging from ₹12 to ₹40 million in India.

On Friday (September 4), Sankalp, together with international non-profit organization DKMS and medical partner Cure2Children Foundation, completed 1,000 stem cell transplants for children suffering from thalassemia.

From these transplants, DKMS supported the cost of transplants for more than 820 children. Sankalp, on the other hand, currently provides care to over 3,000 children through 30 thalassemia day care centers and operates pediatric bone marrow transplant centers in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Rajat Kumar Agarwal, president of the Sankalp India Foundation, said: “For us, these 1,000 transplants are 1,000 starts and proof that treatment can be made more accessible when organizations join forces with a common purpose. It shows how centers in resource-constrained environments can still achieve medical success and internationally recognized quality while keeping transplantation accessible and affordable.”

Published – 04 Sep 2026 21:48 IST