We had great hope for my son’s treatment and traveled to Tehran for help. We visited Shariati Hospital, where they told us that a stem cell transplant was necessary for his treatment. Unfortunately, no matching donor was found among our family members, relatives, or the public donor banks.
We continued Mojtaba’s treatment for two years. In 2007, we were blessed with a daughter. We stored her cord blood, but after testing, it turned out she was not a match for Mojtaba, so a transplant was not possible. We donated her cord blood so it could be used by someone in need.
Throughout all these years, we never lost hope. With continuous follow-ups and conventional treatments, we took good care of our son. Until Mojtaba was 11 years old, no suitable donor had been found.
In 2016, God’s blessing came again when we were gifted another daughter, whom we named Tahoura. Tahoura’s cord blood stem cells were stored, and after testing, it was confirmed that she was a perfect genetic match with Mojtaba — a full 10 out of 10 compatibility.
The transplant was performed in mid-March 2017, and thankfully, the transplant was 100% accepted by his body. Since then, he has had no problems.
Mojtaba suffered from major thalassemia and received a cord blood transplant from his younger sister, Tahoura.
He underwent the transplant on March 7, 2017, and is now in complete health.
The Abedi family lives in Iranshahr, Sistan and Baluchestan. Mojtaba’s father says:
“Mojtaba was very ill and needed frequent blood transfusions. We were always worried he might get sick, as even minor viruses would affect him severely.”
Despite everything, Mojtaba’s intelligence is not only on par with his classmates but even above average. During the years of treatment, he studied grades five and six mostly through home tutoring.
Mojtaba is currently in the 10th grade, studying experimental sciences. He is very interested in medical fields and plans to pursue dentistry, nursing, or other health-related majors at university.
With the current COVID-19 situation, we do have concerns about his health because infectious diseases can put him at risk. However, my anxiety is much less now than before.
Mojtaba’s life after the transplant has become very normal and natural. No one looks at him as a patient anymore — life has returned to its usual course.