“She is healthy,” they told her on the phone. For Ioanna Laga it was a message she had been waiting for for two years. And it was the most pleasant message for her “son”, but she has never seen it. A son who did not give birth to him, did not know him and does not even know his name. A 25-year-old, today, Italian, who, luckily brought, to become her “son” through a “blood bond”.
Ioanna Laga was the only one among 30,000,000 people who could save her from hematopoietic cells leukemia this child. Since 2017 when she gave the transplant, every year, in April, she was called and all she was told was that the young Italian was alive. Last year, due to a pandemic, he had no news. And this year, a few days ago, they called her and told her that she is healthy, giving her the greatest joy of the day.
Ioanna Laga is a teacher, mother of two children she gave birth to and from 2017 “mother” and “Giuseppe”, as she called the young Italian, whom she may not have given birth to but reborn with the implant she gave.
On the occasion of this pleasant news, Ms. Laga told APE-MPE her experience, urging citizens to be informed about the donation of blood cells and to make the decision to become voluntary bone marrow donors.
It all started in 2016, when the daughter of a classmate from elementary school fell ill with leukemia and an implant had to be found to save her life. The girl’s family addressed the Association of Volunteer Blood Donors of Kozani, which organized an action to collect saliva samples in a store near the PAOK stadium.
“Learning about this action, I hurried to give a saliva sample to help the girl. I could not find myself useful to my classmate’s daughter. A graft was found for her by someone else – I think from abroad. But, after about a year and a half, I received a phone call from the Center for Information and Attraction of Volunteer Bone Marrow Donors of the University of Patras, KEDMOP, who informed me that I was found to be 90% compatible, within 30,000,000 samples, with a young patient from Italy. I was asked if I agree to continue the procedure and give the implant, if the required tests show that I am healthy. Of course, without a second thought and with great joy and emotion, the preparation was made and on October 10, 2017, the hematopoietic cells were taken at the Papanikolaou hospital “, says Ms. Laga.
The procedure is not painful
At the hospital, where she went to donate hematopoietic cells, her children accompanied her to see up close and make sure that it is not something painful, dangerous and difficult. “I saw them looking curiously at the machines that centrifuged the blood leaving my hand and after keeping in a bag only the cells necessary for the recipient, they returned the rest of the blood from the other hand to my body. I was constantly asked how I felt if I was in pain. I was fine. Happy and excited. No reason that they would go to school that day. They were very excited that their mom would give an implant to save a human life. The whole process took about 2.5 hours and then we drove home. I felt great. No dizziness, no pain, no discomfort at all. I felt that it was the best gift God has given me, to help a young child smile again full of health. Everyone congratulated me on my action. But for me, the big hero is the young receiver. I christened him “Giuseppe”. I do not know his name or anything about him. He is the one who gave the battle and came out the winner. He spent hours in agony and prayed to God that his body would accept the transplant so that he could start working and make him healthy and strong again. What I did was the easy part of the matter and it was over in a few hours. He had to be strong and overcome the obstacles that would arise throughout the treatment that would follow. And he did it! “
“Giuseppe” succeeded
“In April 2018, I received the first phone call from KEDMOP that the recipient of the transplant was alive. Only this and nothing else! “, Ms. Liaga continues and adds:” In April 2019 came the second phone call. The recipient is alive! In April 2020 I did not receive any phone calls. Italy’s major problems with the coronavirus probably did not allow the alert to be issued. And a few days ago came the third phone call that informed me that at the moment the recipient of the transplant is healthy. My joy is indescribable! Finally in the confinement and a happy news! There was a lot of darkness in our lives with what was happening around us. “Giuseppe” did it for me! They are fine and we may meet soon. I wish. He is for me my third child. What I did not give birth to but helped it to be reborn! If I had the chance again, I would definitely do it again. Without any hesitation. You feel that with this act you become a HUMAN. It is not measured in money. Only with emotions. I feel rich too! “
Anyone, as long as they are healthy, can become a donor
“Each of us, from the moment we grow up and are healthy, can become a volunteer bone marrow donor. The saliva sample taken with a cotton swab is enough to perform the necessary tests, record the sample, and enter the global sample pool. From there, if you are identified with a recipient, they will call you and the process will begin. I really wish those who do not know about hematopoietic cell donation to be informed and make the decision to become voluntary bone marrow donors. “There is no side effect, on the contrary, the joy and happiness you feel, when you become so useful to someone who is in danger of losing his life, gives you the strength to face any difficulty in life”, concludes Ms. Laga.
* The photo was provided to APE-MPE by Ioanna Laga
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