Lady with ‘one in a billion’ situation meets stem cell donor who saved her life

The pleasure of the Gardella household was palpable as they waited within the arrivals corridor at Birmingham Airport for somebody they’d by no means met earlier than however who already meant a lot to them.

Finally, they noticed a middle-aged girl sporting an outsized hoodie amongst the passengers arriving from Dusseldorf.

The household immediately recognised Dana Ernst-Behme from her WhatsApp image and nine-year-old Sofia Gardella took the lead, eagerly approaching their visitor and flinging her small arms round her neck. The hug was a protracted one and Ms Ernst-Behme closed her eyes as she embraced her younger host.

This assembly was so particular as a result of it was the primary time Ms Ernst-Behme met the woman whose life she had doubtless saved.

Sofia, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was simply two years outdated when her household found she urgently wanted a stem cell transplant. She was identified with Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia (CAMT), a situation that’s so uncommon docs imagine fewer than 100 individuals on the earth have it.

CAMT causes the physique to supply a dangerously low variety of bone marrow cells, particularly the kind wanted to make platelets that clot the blood.

Sofia’s medical workforce scoured the Anthony Nolan stem cell register and located genetic match with Ms Ernst-Behme, 52, from Helpsen, Germany. She donated her stem cells from her hometown and so they have been instantly flown to the UK for Sofia’s life-saving therapy.

Sofia’s mum Claire Gardella stated: “I actually saw the cells arrive at the hospital. I was looking out of the window and saw the courier pull up with the box.

“It seemed like a bag of blood, however clearly it was a bag of magic cells. That’s what we referred to as it after we defined it to Sofia – a bag of magic.”

Ms Ernst-Behme’s wholesome stem cells changed Sofia’s broken ones, and he or she has now made a full restoration.

After 5 years of emails, calls and letters with Mrs Gardella, Ms Ernst-Behme determined to go to the UK for the primary time and see the household whose lives she’s modified.

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‘She saved my life’

Sofia stated she was excited to fulfill her donor.

“I think it’s really important [for her to visit] because she saved my life.”

Sofia wasn’t remotely shy round Mrs Ernst-Behme. When they received residence from the airport she expertly demonstrated the right way to play the cardboard recreation Boggle.

Mrs Ernst-Behme admitted she’d identified to anticipate Sofia’s confidence due to her mom’s emails.

“Claire wrote that Sofia’s a chatterbox and she said I [must have] had it in my bone marrow. But I said I’m not a chatterbox and then my husband said… I am,” she laughed.

‘We want extra individuals to register and everybody may help possibly’

Sofia stated she did not perceive what was occurring when she acquired her bone marrow transplant as a result of she was too younger, however now she realises a stranger donated precisely what she wanted to steer a wholesome, blissful life. She’s very grateful.

Sofia stated she now loves dancing, swimming and driving her bike – all made doable by the transplant she acquired.
Her mom stated it was such an enormous aid after they received the news the docs had discovered a match for Sofia.

“Oh it’s amazing just to think that there’s somebody out there who’s willing to help us, somebody that doesn’t know us,” stated Mrs Gardella.

“We need more people to register and everyone can help maybe. There’s one match all over the world,” stated Mrs Ernst-Behme.

Call for donors

The Anthony Nolan charity has been serving to sufferers for nearly 50 years.

It has the UK’s greatest stem cell register, however desperately wants extra individuals to enroll, significantly donors between the age of 16-25 years outdated. Donors beneath the age of 30 result in higher survival charges for sufferers however fewer and fewer are coming ahead.

“It’s really simple to sign up [to the register],” stated Rowena Bentley, a spokesperson for the charity.

“You receive a swab in the post and you just need to swap your cheeks and send them back to Antony Nolan. We test those for your unique genetic type and then you sit on the register ready to be a match for a patient in need.”