Patient Stories

Latest News - 7 February, 2019 : BMT Sri Lanka celebrates 50th Transplant at Apeksha Hospital

The BMT Team with Dr. Sam Milliken, Head of the Heamatalogy Department, St. Vincent's hospital, Sydney and the receipients of BMT at the celebrations of 50th Transplant at National Cancer Institute, Maharagama (February 2019)

The first BMT recipient with Dr. Prasad Abeysinghe and Ms Deepthika Kumari, celebrating completion of one year (Dec 2017)

	For latest news... BBC 1 August 2016	Cardiff Uni cancer survivor Vithiya Alphons graduates -BBC Wales News -19/7/2017
Hi everyone, we would like to thank each and everyone who has been part of Vithiya's campaign. All your efforts and hardwork means so much to us along with all the love and support you have shown us over the past few very difficult months. We were really hoping to get a complete match but unfortunately as we couldnt find one, there was no other choice but to go ahead with her mother's half match cells (50%) as this is the only option we have at this time to save her life. This is Vithiya's mum donating her cells to save Vithiya's life. Vithiya has now finished her transplant and has started her recovery process. We ask everyone to please keep her in your prayers. Thank you so much for your continued support. Much appreciated. - Save V's Life. [19/05/2016]

Currently, the patients needing BMT from NCI and private hospitals are referred to hospitals in India or Singapore. The estimated cost for this process in India is about 4.5 million Rupees (~ USD 35k ) and even more in Singapore. These costs are due to many factors, such as travel and accommodation for the patient as well as for donors & carers, over and above the net cost of the treatment.The initial HLA typing is conducted in Sri Lanka to find matching donors from immediate family. Then they take the most closely matching donors to India for further testing.

A Father of a 2 year old baby had this to say;

“I am from Sri Lanka and my one year and eight month old Baby is suffering from leukemia since he was 5 months old. The consultant treating my son recommended that he should undergo a Bone Marrow Transplant immediately to save his life. But unfortunately there is no facility to do a Bone Marrow Transplant in Sri Lanka. So we have to do that treatment to my baby wherever it is available. The treatment in India will cost approximately US $90,000 according to the sources. However it could not be done due to our poor financial situation…..” - 12/01/2013

Unfortunately, before the father could raise sufficient funds to receive BM Transplant in India, the baby passed away due to Pneumonia, after a few weeks in the ICU. [March 2013]

A mother (35) of two young kids (4 & 11) and a school teacher was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, in early 2013. Her only hope was in BM Transplant in India.

The cost of treatment was estimated at Rs 4.5 million (USD 35k). She had raised part of the funds (sufficient to start the treatment), when they were about to leave to India. Following preliminary tests in Sri Lanka, she had to take her two siblings to India in two occasions for further tests as potential donors, but none of them matched well enough for BMT.

Once Sri Lanka sets up its own Bone Marrow Donor Registry (BMDR), Sri Lankans will gain automatic access to the Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide(BMDW) as a participating BMDR. Also, It is anticipated that establishment of a BMT Unit in Sri Lanka will reduce these costs to a fraction of the current overseas costs.