Son critical,IIT-B alumnus in US appeals online for bone marrow

The search for the right bone marrow for 18-year-old Samir Pendse,who is battling relapsed leukemia,has been going on for three years. However,as a good match for Samir’s bone marrow is yet to be found,his US-based father Raj Pendse,a student of IIT-Bombay’s 1980 batch,has now appealed through his alma mater’s alumni network to save the teenager’s life. “Samir is in dire and urgent need of a matched bone marrow donor. We are creating awareness in the South Asian and Indian community to become a registered donor for bone marrow. The need is urgent and it has to be done now as it is the only chance of cure for Samir,” says the post.

“Alumni appeals”,an initiative of IIT Bombay Alumni Association (IITBAA) and IIT Bombay Heritage Fund (IITBHF),helps alumni and their immediate families in need of assistance for reasons such as a medical situation,economic distress or a natural disaster. It is an online forum where the former students can post their requirement. To make an appeal to all alumni,one has to write to the institute and all requests received are reviewed before inclusion. “We do get appeals locally for blood donation from time to time. This is the first time that such an appeal has been made by an alumnus who lives abroad. This is a very serious issue and we hope that Samir is able to find a bonemarrow match,” said Professor AQ Contractor,dean of alumni and corporate relations,IIT Bombay.

Stating that the shortage of registered Indian bone marrow is a critical issue in the US,the appeal says that since a small number of people of Indian origin are registered with the “National Marrow Donor Programme (NMDP)”,a match for Samir has not been found. “By increasing the number of registered donours,there is a better chance of finding the right match to treat leukemia and save a life. Because tissue types are inherited,a patient’s most likely match is someone from the same racial or ethnic group. It is,therefore,important for all Indians to register and widen the pool,” says the appeal.