Stem cell donation helps cancer patients

Vijayawada: Siddhartha College alumni and Dhatri Foundation of Chennai jointly organised a three-day awareness programme on Stem Cells Donation at Siddhartha Arts and Science College (PBS) premises that concluded on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, principal Dr M Ramesh said all the three years degree students participated in the awareness programme. He said that DNA tests were conducted to about 1,030 students and were registered as stem cell donors.

College alumni joint secretary V Krishna Prasanna said that by donating stem cells they would give a new lease of life to people suffering from cancer. He said that blood cancer cases are increasing in the country day-by-day and stem cell donors are very small in number which is leading to loss of lives, he said.

He said about 4,000 children below three years are suffering from blood cancer and are eagerly waiting for stem cells donors at Thalassemia Cell Society, Hyderabad. He said with this programme the students would get awareness on the importance of stem cell donation, he added. Dhatri foundation volunteers V Sudha and Vasu, and college students participated.