Mojtaba Abedi was born in October 2005. During the first three months after birth, he was physically very healthy and energetic, but suddenly he became ill. The disease made him very weak. We conducted a series of tests, but were told that the results were not accurate and needed to be repeated after some time. When the repeated tests were performed, unfortunately, it was confirmed that our son was diagnosed with major thalassemia.
We had great hope for our son’s treatment and came to Tehran for his care. We visited Shariati Hospital, where we were told that treatment required a stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, no matching donor could be found in the family, relatives, or public banks. We continued Mojtaba’s treatment for two years. In 2007, we had a daughter, and we stored her cord blood, but after testing it was found not to match our son, so it could not be used for transplantation. That sample was donated for anyone in need.
Throughout all these years, we never lost hope and consistently followed standard treatments to care for our son. Until Mojtaba was 11 years old, no donor was found. In 2016, God blessed us with another daughter, whom we named Tahoura. Her cord blood stem cells were stored, and after testing, it was found that her genetic markers were a perfect match with Mojtaba — 10 out of 10 compatibility.
In mid-March 2017, the transplant was performed, and thanks to God, it was 100% accepted by Mojtaba’s body, with no complications to this day.
Mojtaba, who suffered from major thalassemia, received a cord blood stem cell transplant from his second sister, Tahoura. He underwent the transplant on March 7, 2017, and is now in complete health.
The Abedi family resides in Iranshahr, Sistan and Baluchestan. Mojtaba’s father says: “Mojtaba was very sick and constantly needed blood transfusions. We were always worried that he might get ill because any kind of virus severely affected him.”
In terms of intelligence, Mojtaba is not only on par with his classmates but even above them. During the years of his treatment, he completed fifth and sixth grades of primary school almost entirely through non-attendance (distance learning).
Mojtaba is now in tenth grade, studying in the experimental sciences track. He has a strong interest in medical fields and intends to pursue a university degree in dentistry, nursing, or other medical branches.
With the current COVID-19 situation, we have some concerns because the spread of illnesses increases the risk of infection for him. However, my stress now is much lower than before.
Life for Mojtaba after the transplant has become very normal. No one looks at him as a patient anymore, and life has returned to its ordinary routine.