Gift of blood stem cells for matched Taiwan recipients

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 07-19-2007 15:49

Ms. Hang from the eastern province of Jiangsu(Left)

A special donation is taking place at a hospital in Beijing. For the first time, Mainland volunteers are giving their blood stem cells to matched Taiwan recipients. CCTV reporter Zeng Siwei takes a closer look at the gift of life across the straits.

The two donors are Ms. Hang from the eastern province of Jiangsu, and Xiaoyan from the central province of Hunan.

Ms. Hang is a salesclerk. Two years ago, she learned her marrow matched a leukemia patient in Taiwan.

But the patient's conditions meant the donation couldn't be finalized until this April.

Xiaoyan works for a pharmacy. She was found to be a match in April.

The two volunteers arrived in Beijing last weekend for the stem cell collection.

Over the past couple of days, they've received injections to separate blood stem cells from bone marrow.

The collection process will be finished tomorrow, and the stem cells sent to Taipei.

Marrow bank workers from both sides of the Taiwan Straits are improving transplant access.

The Tzu Chi Taiwan Marrow Donor Registry, the third largest of its kind in the world, has made over a hundred matches for mainland patients.

And today's donation is the first for the Mainland to Taiwan.

Editor:Du Xiaodan