More than 2200 people have now registered as a stem cell donor since PSV spokesman Thijs Slegers made an appeal for this on Thursday. The press secretary shared an emotional message that day in which he wrote that he can no longer be cured. Stem cell donation has been in the spotlight ever since.
The enormous number of registrations feels double at Stichting Matchis, says spokesman Bert Elbertse. “It is a wonderful number and the more people in the database, the greater the chance that we can help patients. Only the reason is of course very sad.”
Huge increase
The appeal of Thijs Slegers op social media has meanwhile caused an enormous increase in the number of possible stem cell donors. “In three days, about ten percent of the number of registrations that we normally receive in a whole year have been received,” says Elbertse.
Matchis expects that it will not stop there and that is a good thing. “You need a lot of registrations to find a match. Last year we were able to match 247 donors to a patient. Eight years ago there were only fifty,” explains Elberts. “And with a match like that you can really save lives.”
Incurable
Thijs Slegers has a form of blood cancer. The PSV spokesman has previously received new stem cells, but the treatment has not worked. Doctors have told him there is nothing more they can do for him.
A stem cell transplant is necessary when the body no longer produces healthy blood cells. Before the transplant, the patient’s own immune system is first switched off by chemotherapy, for example.
The new stem cells from a donor must ensure that the patient’s body produces healthy blood cells again. Thijs Slegers’ immune system is no longer working and the transplant of donor cells has failed. According to Slegers, the after-effects will be fatal for him.
Men
Matchis has seen that since the call, mainly men have registered as stem cell donors. “It is very nice that they are now moving because of Slegers’ call. At first it was less,” says Elbertse.
According to Elbertse, it is positive that many people come into contact with the subject. “It is on the agenda and is being discussed. This ensures that if we campaign again in the future, we may be able to find even more potential donors.”
The counter was still at 300 new registrations on Friday morning. A day and a half later, that number is already seven times higher. Elbertse hopes that the successful appeal offers Thijs Slegers and his family some comfort in this difficult time.