The first stem cell sampling was carried out at the Children's Oncology and Medical Center

When the work you put your heart and soul into yields real results, it is the greatest motivation to continue.

У Clinic of Pediatric Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Western Ukrainian Specialized Children's Medical Centeropened before the war in cooperation with the "Zaporuka" and partners Soleterre Onlus and Rosa Pristina, a remarkable event took place: For the first time, Lviv doctors successfully harvested stem cells from a child.

The patient is 4-year-old Maxim, who is undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma. After high-dose chemotherapy, the collected cells will help speed up his recovery.

Preparation for the procedure lasted five days - doctors were waiting for the maximum concentration of cells in the blood. The sampling was carried out using a separator Amicusthat functions as a filter: it selects the necessary cells and returns the blood back to the body.

• 5 hours
• 6 cycles
• 3 volumes of circulating blood
  - and the required number of stem cells was collected. It was placed in a cryobank with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 °Cwhere the cells will wait for transplantation.

Now Maksym is at home, but will soon return to the clinic to continue his treatment: high-dose chemotherapy and transplantation.

"We are the only children's clinic in western Ukraine that has a ready-made team and modern capabilities to collect stem cells for HSCT. And we are doing it effectively despite the war," said Roman Kizyma, head of the clinic.

Zaporuka Foundation is proud to be part of the changes that are saving children's lives in Ukraine.