Cochin university unites to pray for young leukaemia patient

To promote organ donation as a life-saving practice, 500 students signed organ donation willingness documents on the occasion

Over a thousand students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) took part in a unique mass fasting prayer on Monday noon seeking change in the mindset of a young doctor who backtracked from his earlier promise to donate his stem cells to save a young leukaemia patient due to unknown reasons.

Film personalities Sidique and Captain Raju also joined the prayer meeting in which the students lighted candles in solidarity with the leukaemia patient. To promote organ donation as a life-saving practice, 500 students signed organ donation willingness documents on the occasion. Rest of the students would do so in the coming days after clearing formalities.

According to associate professor of Civil Engineering Department Roy M. Thomas, the programme was organised to invoke conscience of the city-based doctor, who had promised his stem cells to Nini Monsi, the daughter of contract faculty member in CUSAT and retired Shipyard employee Monsi K. Mani.

Nini suffers from Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). American Cancer Society website says: “MDS is the name of a group of conditions that occur when the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow are damaged. This damage leads to low numbers of one or more types of blood cells. Many of the blood cells that are made by these damaged cells are not normal. The body destroys many of these abnormal blood cells, leaving the person without enough normal blood cells and with low blood counts. MDS can turn into a fast-growing cancer of bone marrow cells called acute myeloid leukaemia.”

Nini can regain normal life only through a bone marrow replanation surgery. It must be done very soon. It was after large-scale drives conducted in Kochi, Bangalore and even in the U.S., a donor matching all requirements was spotted.

“We all are ready to donate our stem cells but they don’t match with that of Nini’s. Over 200 people have already been screened but only the doctor’s stem cells matched with Nini’s. As modern medicine promises that there would be nothing harmful for the donor, he should come forward to save her life,” said CUSAT engineering student K Anantharaman.

Nini, married with two children, is now undergoing treatment at a leading hospital in Bangalore.