Mohammad Gholandari: A Story of Courage and Recovery
Mohammad’s father shared with us the story of his son’s illness.
Mr. Gholandari spoke about the days he was on a mission while his son had a fever, and how Mohammad’s mother stayed by his side all night, worried he might have a seizure. The Gholandari family lives in Bandar Abbas, in the village of Kohestak.
He said: "We have eight children — six boys and two girls. Mohammad is our fourth child. His fevers began when he was six years old. He had fever at night but not during the day. His gums were inflamed, and the flesh on his gums would swell. We went to Minab for treatment and conducted many tests, but his illness remained unclear. We then went to Bandar Abbas where doctors performed tests and found that Mohammad’s platelet count was low. He was hospitalized in Bandar Abbas for three days, but following doctors’ advice, we transferred him to Yazd for further treatment."
In Yazd, Mohammad was admitted to the oncology ward at Shahid Sadoughi Hospital and placed in isolation. Tests were repeated, and when the results arrived, I asked the lab supervisor for the diagnosis. They said the treating doctor would explain. I told them, “Whatever the disease is, tell me. The illness is in God's hands, and so is the cure.”
Chemotherapy did not overcome the disease
Finally, Mohammad was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia). Chemotherapy treatment began. Watching our child suffer was very difficult. The pain he endured during chemotherapy was agonizing for us too. He was hospitalized periodically and treated from August 1, 2006, continuing for two years. However, after two years it became clear that chemotherapy had not defeated the disease, and we needed to find another treatment.
On his doctor’s advice, we went to Shariati Hospital, where physicians said the cancer must be treated with a stem cell transplant. All family members were tested for bone marrow donation to Mohammad, but none of us were a perfect genetic match, so we could not donate our stem cells.
Doctors said that if a matching cord blood stem cell sample was found, it could save Mohammad from this difficult disease. However, no matching sample was found in the cord blood bank either. We had no choice but to continue chemotherapy. Meanwhile, doctors were negotiating the possibility of transplanting stem cells from Mohammad’s own peripheral blood. But fate had another plan for my son…
Believe in miracles…
Two children were born after Mohammad, but unfortunately, their cord blood samples were not compatible with his. One day while my wife was at the hospital with Mohammad, a nurse asked if she was pregnant. My wife said no, but the nurse advised a pregnancy test to avoid her staying in the ward because of radiation exposure risks.
The test came back positive. Doctors said the mother’s presence in the hospital was dangerous due to radiation, and recommended that we definitely store the newborn’s cord blood — maybe this child, unknown to us, could be a miracle for our son’s life.
I asked the doctors, “How do you know the newborn’s cord blood will match Mohammad genetically?” They replied, “How do you know it won’t?”
Before birth, we arranged to store the cord blood. On delivery day, a blood collection expert extracted the cord blood. The cord blood bank said the HLA test (genetic compatibility) results would be ready three weeks later, but the treating doctor, Dr. Hamidiyeh, said we didn’t have time and needed the results urgently. The test results came quickly — Mohammad and his brother Benyamin were a genetic match.
We were overjoyed when the genetic compatibility test for Mohammad and Benyamin came back positive. His mother was constantly grateful. We quickly brought Mohammad from our city, where he was undergoing chemotherapy, to Tehran, and he was admitted to Shariati Hospital.
Examination of Benyamin’s cord blood showed the cell count was insufficient, so a second cord blood sample was also used — in what is called a double cord transplant. At that time, we rented a house in Tehran for six months and continued treatment there.
Mohammad beat the hardest game life gave him
Now, 12 years after those difficult days, our young hero has grown and overcome life’s hardest challenge. Mohammad told us: “I am studying in the humanities field and preparing for the university entrance exam. I love football very much, and the illness I had doesn’t bother me at all. I study and exercise as well as or better than my friends.”
“My father is a fisherman, and sometimes I help him. I am always grateful for his efforts.”