Diagnosing leukemia: 13-year-old Mattes from Cologne-Porz is looking for a donor
Cologne –
During their summer vacation together on the Dutch island of Texel, the world as they knew so far collapsed for the Porz-born family of 13-year-old Mattes. It all started with Mattes being limp and tired from one day to the next, not feeling like anything and not even wanting to go to the beach. Completely different from what he – the football and FC enthusiastic, cheerful boy – his family had experienced up to now. First, dying parents guessed it was an infection or a corona infection.
Diagnosis of blood cancer in the Cologne University Hospital
Back in Cologne, came to the pediatrician, because of Mattes’ swollen lymph glands and tiny bleeding in the legs, the doctor caused an admission to the university clinic. There the shock diagnosis releases: blood cancer! In the meantime, Mattes is in pediatric oncology, where he is undergoing strong chemotherapy. But in order for it to survive, it needs stem cell therapy.
The Cologne branch of DKMS, based on the former RTL site at Aachener Straße 1042 in Junkersdorf, has now launched a publicity campaign for him to find possible stem cell donors for and other leukemia patients and to get as many people as possible to motivate their genome to be typed for the donor database.
DKMS starts search
This is difficult because the tissue characteristics of the donor and recipient should match as closely as possible for the transplant to be successful. “We are pulling all the stops,” explains Janet Mulappancharil, campaign supervisor at DKMS Cologne. “So far we haven’t found a suitable donor. The first step is always to look for possible candidates within the family, because that is where the best chance of success is. Unfortunately, his older sister was out of the question as a donor. That’s why we’re now starting a major search to increase the chances of Mattes and other patients too. “
Despite the severe blow of fate, Mattes and his family try to remain optimistic. “My first thought was: Will our child die now?” Stefanie, Mattes’ mother, recalls the diagnosis. “You just don’t get it. It’s surreal, intangible, like in a bad movie. A world collapses, everything falls on you and at the same time you are completely empty. ”Mattes also accepts the disease and laughs, despite all the adversities. “Mattes wants to live. He has one wish: If he gets well again, he would like to eat a kebab at Podolski-Imbiss first. We hope so much that this Christmas miracle will come true, ”explains Mattes’ father.
Everyone between the ages of 17 and 55 and who is healthy can take part in the typing campaign. Over the promotion website a registration set can be ordered; typing by swabbing the cheek skin with a cotton swab is completely painless and quick. And there is a first interim success: At the moment, well over 1000 people have already responded to the call and requested self-test material for at home. In addition to the active typing, the DKMS is also happy to receive donations, as each new entry in the database costs 35 euros.