According to the Public Relations Office of the Royan Cord Blood Bank, Elham, a 12-year-old girl from Isfahan, was diagnosed in January 2015 with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). After three rounds of chemotherapy without response, she was treated using her sister’s cord blood stem cells, which had been stored at the Royan Cord Blood Bank.
Elham’s father said: “On January 13, 2015, we discovered Elham’s illness, and at that time, her mother was pregnant. After three rounds of chemotherapy without response, the doctors decided to perform a stem cell transplant. Since Elham was our only child, no compatible bone marrow sample was found among family members or relatives. Once the treating doctor learned that my wife was pregnant, they recommended that the newborn’s cord blood be stored for potential future use in a transplant.”
He continued: “After the birth of our second child, Fatemeh, her cord blood was stored at the Royan Cord Blood Bank, and ten days later, an HLA test was performed. By God’s grace, it was determined that Fatemeh’s cord blood matched Elham. However, due to Elham’s weight of approximately 60 kg, the doctors stated that there were not enough cells, and the transplant committee rejected it three times. Eventually, it was decided that an additional cord blood sample would be used along with her sister’s, in what is known as a double-cord transplant. In October 2015, the transplant was performed at Shariati Hospital in Tehran by Dr. Hamidiyeh.”
Elham’s father said: “It was God’s blessing that Fatemeh was in my wife’s womb during Elham’s illness, especially since she had previously had two miscarriages. Everything happened in a way that led to our daughter’s recovery. After the cells were transplanted into Elham, it took a few days for them to take effect. We had a religious ceremony at home, and that night Elham called from the hospital saying that the cells had activated and increased. The prayers of people, the medical team’s efforts, and the Royan Cord Blood Bank staff all helped us.”
He added: “The transplant results clearly showed the positive effect of Fatemeh’s cord blood on Elham’s body. If conditions continue as they are, no additional treatment will be necessary, and Elham can attend school this year. The transplant was a miracle for me.”
Elham, who regained her health after three rounds of chemotherapy and the stem cell transplant, spoke about her outlook on the future: “This year I should have entered the seventh grade, but since I had taken a year off, in October I will attend the sixth grade. I will do my best to continue my studies in the field of hematology. Regarding treatment with my sister’s cord blood stem cells, I never imagined that science had advanced to this level; it felt like a miracle to me. My leukemia treatment has brought us great joy.”
Dr. Morteza Zarabi, CEO of the Royan Cord Blood Bank, also commented on the transplant: “The decision of these parents to store their child’s cord blood is commendable. The Royan Cord Blood Bank strives to preserve newborn cord blood samples at the highest quality. This successful transplant is the result of the effective collaboration of the blood collection team, laboratory specialists, reception staff, counselors, and most importantly, the transplant team at Shariati Hospital. Everyone played a part in this success. We hope that with the establishment of well-equipped transplant facilities in various hospitals, more patients will benefit from the stem cells stored in cord blood banks.”