Among those who have benefited is Samnu John, a Chennai resident whose health began deteriorating in 2017 with recurring fevers, joint swelling and falling platelet counts.

A severe relapse around Pongal in 2020 led to his admission at Omandurar Government Hospital, where a bone marrow biopsy diagnosed him with hypoplastic anaemia. After his sister was found not to be a full match, he registered with DKMS. Two years of medication later, DKMS located a matching donor from Uttar Pradesh.

Following a successful transplant and a month-and-a-half hospital stay, John made a full recovery, calling it a “rebirth”. He later met his donor at a Chennai press event promoting bone marrow donation awareness. Formerly a sales and marketing manager in private banking loans, John now runs his own marketing business and lives in Pallikaranai with his wife, a schoolteacher, and their two daughters.

Individuals aged 18-55, in good general health, with a BMI below 40 and not already registered, are eligible to sign up as potential donors. In many cases, a blood stem cell transplant remains the only chance of a cure for such patients.

In Karnataka, Muhammad Shaheem was diagnosed with severe thalassaemia at just five months old. Years of regular blood transfusions eventually caused iron overload affecting his heart and liver, making a transplant especially risky.

His younger sister Zara turned out to be a full HLA match, and after counselling at the Sankalp-BMJH Centre in Bengaluru, the family went ahead with the procedure. His mother, Zareena, who herself lives with thalassemia major and requires ongoing treatment, said she wanted her son to have a normal life, and the medical team's support brought a successful outcome.
DKMS partners with several Tamil Nadu hospitals, including Rela Institute, Christian Medical College Vellore, and Madras Medical College and Hospital. Elke Neujahr, DKMS Global CEO, said that the organisation has contributed to the transplant costs of over 820 children of the 1,000 transplants carried out through its partnership with Sankalp, extending beyond funding into thalassaemia care, transplant infrastructure, diagnostics, and specialist training.

Patrick Paul, executive chairman of DKMS Foundation India, said that the organisation provides free HLA typing and donor searches through its Thalassaemia programme, along with financial support for transplant and post-transplant costs, to help more children move toward a cure. Smitha, from Bangalore, said, “I donated blood stem cells twice through DKMS. First, I registered in January 2021 and received a match call eight months later. Her first donation was on September 29, with DKMS supporting her and sharing updates on her recipient's progress. A year later, I donated again, grateful to be part of the DKMS family.”