Press Releases
conducted in Romania in the last 8 years
Bucharest, 19th February 2021 – The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (RNDVCSH) and the Romanian Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation (SRTM), which promotes best practices at national and international level for the benefit of donors and patients waiting for a transplant, announces the realization of 300 de transplants of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors, made in transplant centres in the country during the eight years of activity in Romania.
Since April 2013, when the Romanian Registry became operational, 299 patients have benefited from hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors, and two of them also needed a second transplant. Of the total number of patients, 23% were children.
Donors compatible with Romanian patients transplanted in transplant centres in the country were identified in the Romanian Register (4%) or in other international registers. For 9 out of 10 Romanian patients, the compatible donor was found in registers of European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden), and for 23 patients, donors were identified in other registries (India, Israel, the United Kingdom and Turkey). In order to bring hematopoietic stem cells into the country, the Registry issued import permits and ensured their domestic and international transport, as appropriate.
Starting with 16th March 2020, when restrictions were imposed on limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, the Registry and transplant centres in Romania continued their activity and provided all services, with some limitations during the state of emergency.
‘In order to succeed in continuing the safe transplant activity for our patients, SRTM has developed, since March 2020, recommendations for the pandemic period, in accordance with international recommendations. Thus, it was possible to perform a number similar to previous years of allotransplants from unrelated donors, procedures considered treatment emergencies’, said Prof. Dr. Alina Tănase, President of SRTM.
‘Together with all partners, we have adapted on the go, we have changed working procedures, we have found solutions for the cross-border transport of hematopoietic stem cell grafts from compatible donors in other countries. Although there have been periods of disappointment and despair in the struggle with time that does not wait and does not stand still for patients, we have overcome them. We are glad that the experience of good collaboration in the fight against blood cancers was the key to the successful continuation of the transplant activity. Every transplant patient is a life earned! Every new donor registered in the Register is the life expectancy for patients who need a transplant’, said dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Manager, RNDVCSH.
Currently, the Registry coordinates the activities of the Ministry of Health program on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors and is the guarantor of the quality of services for donors, these special people whose generosity means hope and a chance at life for patients who do not have compatible family donor and are waiting for a transplant.
The success of the Romanian Registry is also about sustained effort and medical performance at European standards of the partners from donor centres and testing laboratories, from sampling centres and transplant centres, professional associations and associations of donors and patients.
In the vision of RNDVCSH, all patients in Romania, who need a hematopoietic stem cell transplant from an unrelated person, should perform this intervention in one of the transplant centres in the country. The mission of RNDVCSH is to identify and provide, at international standards, compatible, unrelated voluntary stem cell donors to all patients in Romania who need a hematopoietic stem cell transplant and for whom there are no related compatible voluntary donors.
In the 8 years of operation, more than 75,000 voluntary donors have registered in the Register. Two-thirds of donors registered in RNDVCSH are tested at least HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1. The search base for potential donors compatible with patients who need a transplant is incomparably larger due to the interconnection with international registries in 54 countries (European Marrow Donor Information System – EMDIS and World Marrow Donor Association – Search & Match Service), the international database currently having 38 million voluntary CSH donors.
The share of the Romanian population registered in RNDVCSH is only 0.3%, a value well below the European Union average, which is 10 times higher (3% ).
To date, 26 CSH donors registered in RNDVCSH have donated hematopoietic stem cells to unrelated patients: 12 Romanian patients and 14 foreign patients.
As members of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant (EBM), RNDVCSH together with the hematopoietic stem cell transplant centers in the country, ensures the quality and safety standards established at European level.
To inform the general population, especially people between 18 and 45 years old, about the transplantation and donation of hematopoietic stem cells, as well as to increase the awareness of the population about the cases that need CSH transplantation, RNDVCSH conducts together with partners the campaign to promote hematopoietic stem cell donation Donează o șansă la viață! (Donate a change at life!), a comprehensive national information campaign supported by the Ministry of Health.
Restrictive travel measures significantly affect information activities and campaigns to promote CSH donation and registration of new voluntary donors in RNDVCSH. The communication strategy for 2020 has been updated and adapted to the new situation. The activities took place online through the information site www.registru-celule-stem.ro and the Facebook page Registrucelulestem, as well as information and advice for those who wrote to us or called telverde 0800.88 STEM (7836).
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the main activities took place mainly in the online environment (radio campaign, Facebook campaign). RNDVCSH makes constant efforts to inform and raise public awareness about the importance of registration as potential donors, because each new donor can mean a chance at life for a patient.
Information on registering online in the Register can be found by accessing the link: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
More information
Information and awareness program about voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donation carried out by the National Register of Donors in partnership with the Romanian Broadcasting Company
Bucharest, 3rd February 2021 – The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors and the Romanian Broadcasting Society have entered into a partnership through which information on the donation system and how those in need can benefit from this help will reach more easily and promptly the patients who need hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Thus, the two institutions join forces in the effort to save human lives.
The partnership between the two institutions aims to run through radio channels programs aimed at informing and raising awareness among the Romanian population that voluntary donation of hematopoietic stem cells can save the lives of patients with blood cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
‘For many sick people, there is hope for healing by transplanting hematopoietic stem cells. The chances of a patient in Romania to find a compatible donor increase with the number of voluntary donors registered in the Romanian Register. That is why we try to make the general public aware of the importance of registration in the Register of hematopoietic stem cell donors and the impact of stem cell transplantation on the life of patients’, said dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Manager, National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
The Romanian Broadcasting Company, with the mission of communicating information that is relevant and of interest for all listeners, will publicise the campaign ‘Donează o șansă la viață!’ (Donate a chance at life!) through its stations Radio România Actualități, Radio România Cultural, Radio Romania 3 Net ‘Florian Pittiș’ and Rador Agency. Editorial materials will be made in order to convey the message of the campaign to the listening public, and finally the citizens to resonate by registering in the Register. The partnership between the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors and the Romanian Broadcasting Society will take place between February and March 2021.
The campaign ‘Donează o șansă la viață!’ (Donate a chance at life!) is supported by the Ministry of Health within the national health program ‘Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donor’.
The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors became operational in April 2013, and in the 8 years of operation over 75,000 voluntary donors have registered in the Register.
The Romanian registry is interconnected with international registries from 54 countries, which means that patients with an indication for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an unrelated donor also have access to potential international donors. The share of the Romanian population registered in the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors is only 0.3%, a value well below the European Union average, which is 10 times higher (3% ). The registry makes constant efforts to inform and raise public awareness about the importance of registration as potential donors, because each new donor can mean a chance at life for a patient.
Enjoy a green workout and donate a chance at life!
28 August 2016, Băneasa forest, 09:00 hrs
All those passionate about sports and outdoor exercising are invited this Sunday, 28 August 2016, at 09:00 hrs, in Băneasa forest, to kick off the fourth series of the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign.
Organised by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with MPG, a sport marketing agency, market leader for recreational sports addressed to amateur athletes, the campaign focuses on raising awareness about the importance of staying healthy and enjoying an active life style. The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and will include sports and recreational events, as well as information and awareness raising activities for healthy people aged 18 to 45 who can enlist as voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donors.
The campaign kickoff event is tied to the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon racing competition, organised by MPG in Băneasa forest and addressed to all those who enjoy exercising, now at its 4th edition. The organizer of the sports event has designed races for all levels, on different running courses ranging from 2.5 km to 21 km, setting the stage for a special fun-filled and dynamic time, so that all participants can enjoy a lovely experience in the open air.
Celebrating the World Marrow Donor Day on September 17th, the Minister of Health, Mr. Vlad Voiculescu, and the National Registry’s ambassadors will spread the word and share thank-you messages to all donors.
“Each of us can be the chance at life for a blood cancer patient waiting for a compatible healthy donor. This is a race against time for patients with such serious diseases whose only wish is that time stood still long enough for a voluntary donor, a ‘brother in blood’, to donate and be their chance at a cure. We thank all donors who made it possible to pay life forward!”, said dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, NRHSCVD Manager.
The races for kids aged 6 to 11, scheduled in the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, will be dedicated to promoting the World Marrow Donor Day. At the race start, family members are invited to join the kids who entered the competition and to run in support of the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign. Kids’ participation to the event will be free of charge for up to 250 persons, and registration can be done online by the end of Wednesday, August 24th, on the competition webpage available on the RUNFEST platform: www.runfest.ro. Parents have to open an account for them on the RUNFEST online platform and enter the kids in the competition, and kids will be able to receive cool race kits prior to the competition. After having enjoyed the freedom of green exercising on the 2.5 km course designed for them, all children will be rewarded with medals at the end of the races. Also, their parents will receive t-shirts with the World Marrow Donor Day logo. All information on the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, the races, benefits, services and the awards for winners can be found on the competition webpage available on the www.runfest.ro online platform.
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The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor. An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive data base of hematopoietic stem cell voluntary donors, as well as of the patients in need of a transplant.
For more about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro .
If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800 88 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access www.registru-celule-stem.ro or contact one of our 21 stem cell donor centres.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save someone’s life!
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RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon
28 August 2016, Băneasa forest
Event schedule:
• 07.30: Pick up race kits for race entries (KIDS RACES, 6-11 years old, other races, +12 years old). Registering of KIDS RACES supporters
• 08.30: Closing of race kit pick-up for kids
• 09.00: Start of kids race on the 2.5 Km KIDS course
• 09.45: Award ceremony for kids
• 10.00: Closing of race kit pick-up for all event entries
• 10.00: Warm-up session held by a sports coach
• 10.15: Technical briefing
• 10.30: Start of race on the following running courses: Short course – 5 Km, Standard course – 10 Km and Epic course – 21 Km
• 13.30: Deadline for completing the running course
• 14.00: Award ceremony for competitors on the Short, Standard and Epic courses
The Start/Finish area of the RUNFEST event – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon will be set up in the proximity of Băneasa forest, on Privighetorilor Avenue, in front of Bucharest Police Academy. Access is available via private car or public transportation (bus 301).
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For more about the DONATE A CHANCE AT LIFE campaign, please contact:
Ms. Aurora Dragomirişteanu
NRHSCVD General Manager[M] +40 722 751 147[F] +40 21 201 8800[E] aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro[E] office@rndvcsh.ro[W] www.registru-celule-stem.ro
For more about RUNFEST, please contact:
Ms. Elena Vavilov
MPG PR Manager[M] +40 725 546 271[P] +40 31 805 4042[F] +40 31 805 2697[E] elena.vavilov@mpg.com.ro[E] media@mpg.com.ro[W] www.mpg.com.ro
900 runners enjoyed a green workout
at the RUNFEST – FOX TRAIL Half Marathon
More than 1,200 people, competitors and supporters, made the most of the last summer Sunday by taking part in the Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, a RUNFEST competition, sponsored by official partner Barilla and presented by Persil, organized in Băneasa forest. The passion for open-air/green exercising was certainly well proven on the 28th of August, as we were glad to see hundreds of wide smiles both at the race start and after the finish line.
Nearly 900 racers were ready to start the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, and the day was full of energy, sport, as well as surprises and a great deal of fun. Kids, teens and adults ran on race courses that were customized for their respective level on the cool paths of Băneasa forest, the running competition summing up a total of 32 races on distances ranging between 2.5 and 21 kilometres.
MPG, the RUNFEST coordinator, aims to encourage exercising early in life and to raise the awareness of as many people as possible as to the benefits of running amidst nature, therefore kids aged 6 to 11 had the opportunity to participate in the competition free of charge. Competitors present at the event included members of several sports clubs in the country, who train for national and international competitions, but also people with a passion for running who came from England, Serbia, Italy and Belgium.
The fastest racers were rewarded with generous prizes, a total of 96 competitors walking up the podiums of the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, sponsored by Barilla (official partner) and presented by Persil. Race results are available online on the event webpage of www.runfest.ro or directly by clicking here. Prizes were awarded thanks to the following sponsors: World Class, Nomasvello, Running Warehouse Europe, Herbalife, GoldNutrition, Ice Power and Isostar. In addition, competitors received champagne bottles (adults only), award medals and diplomas.
The 4th edition of the competition in Băneasa was also attended by RUNFEST ambassadors and we thank them for their participation and for supporting the concept of green exercising and healthy life style: Gabriela Szabo, multiple Olympic and world champion, coach emeritus Zsolt Gyongyossy, Călin Novăcescu, fitness coach and martial arts instructor, and Sorin Chineaţă, a young engineer, blogger and sports fan.
The participants’ joy was captured in thousands of photos that will be posted on the RUNFEST Facebook page.
The competition was an opportunity for RUNFEST – www.runfest.ro – to announce its support for the ”Donate a chance at life!” campaign, organised by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with MPG. The campaign focuses on raising awareness about the importance of staying healthy and enjoying an active life style, and aims to inform and raise awareness among healthy people aged 18 to 45 with regard to hematopoietic stem cell donation.
The races for kids that were organized in the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon were dedicated to promoting the World Marrow Donor Day (September 17th). At the start line, parents or relatives were given the opportunity to join the kids and run behind them on the dedicated course, as a way of showing support for the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign. Olympic and world champion Gabriela Szabo also supports the campaign efforts, acting as ambassador and sending a message to all amateur athletes about the importance of helping those with life-threatening health problems and becoming hematopoietic stem cell donors.
Barilla was the official partner of RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon and the event was presented by Persil. Official sponsors included Isostar, Herbalife, World Class, Wim Bosman, event sponsors were Carrefour, iNES Group, Ciuc Natur Radler, GoldNutrition, Health Advisors, Nomasvello, Ice Power, Gustare Nevinovată and Toortitzi. Event partners: Bucharest Directorate for Youth and Sports (Ministry of Youth and Sports), Urban, ProENERG, Asociația Salvatorilor Voluntari pentru Situații de Urgență (Rescue Volunteers in Emergency Situations Association), Brigada de Voluntari (Volunteer Brigade), „ZSOLT GYONGYOSSY, education through sport” Sports Club Association and Romsilva.
We communicate and inform you with the constant help of Kiss FM, number 1 radio station in Romania and RUNFEST official media partner, together with eJobs, recruitment partner and national online recruitment champion, jointly with Inga Media and Libertatea, main media partners, as well as the following media partners: Comunicatedepresa.ro, Asociația Ro Club Maraton, Biciclistul, Alerg.ro magazine, Orasulm.eu, Running Mag, IReporter, 4RUN, Edu-news, România Pozitivă, Sportlocal.ro, Sportpici, Insport, SportsPlanner, blogs 188bmp.com, Chineata.ro, Carmenalbisteanu.ro, 6pack.ro, 36fit.com, BikeFm.ro, and Kooperativa 2.0 bloggers’ agency.
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About MPG:
MPG implements the sports projects initiated by PROAM Events Foundation, promoting recreational sport activities as a great way of spending spare time and maintaining health. MPG is market leader for sport events addressed to amateur athletes, counting 19 years of experience in the field. The agency coordinates around 750 sport events in 70 cities all throughout the year. Under the umbrella of Sportainment, MPG implements 4 national sport systems that form communities of more than 80,000 amateur athletes: tennis – www.tenispartener.ro, www.tenis10.ro, cycling – www.ridersclub.ro, running – www.runfest.ro and a competition system for 10 sports, in Bucharest, used by more than 200 companies – Romanian Corporate Sports – www.corporatesports.ro. Their project for kids called Tenis10 – www.tenis10.ro – was nominated as finalist in the European CSR Awards 2013. MPG also created and developed a special format project, the URBATLON obstacle race which, starting this year, was integrated in the www.runfest.ro platform. Over the last 9 years, MPG implemented more than 4,000 sport events and launched communication campaigns together with specialized media. For more on MPG, please visit www.mpg.com.ro.
About NRHSCVD:
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor. An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive data base of hematopoietic stem cell voluntary donors, as well as of the patients in need of a transplant. The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save someone’s life! For more about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro. If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800 88 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access www.registru-celule-stem.ro or contact one of our 21 stem cell donor centres.
The caravan through Bucharest universities will start on 4 December 2014 up until the end of March 2015. Its first stop is at the Faculty of Letters, Bucharest University, on 5-7 Edgar Quinet Str., sector 1.
A medical and promoting team will be there on Thursday, 4 December, between 14:00 and 18:00, in the Bălcescu Lecture Hall (first floor, right wing) to distribute information materials and provide counseling to all students who wish to register as volunteer donors of hematopoietic stem cells. The caravan aims to raise awareness among students with regard to the hematopoietic stem cell donation and increase the number of student donors.
An information booth is to be set up in the Marble Hall of the Faculty of Letters, available throughout the campaign.
The “Donate a chance at life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by the NRHSCVD. The caravan through universities is a joint project that includes Bucharest BTC and partner universities (the University of Bucharest and “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest). The campaign is open to volunteers and partner nongovernmental organizations interested in cooperating with us, all invited to join our cause.
Who can register as a donor and how!
All healthy people aged 18 to 45 can sign up and join our mission to save as many lives as possible. After a full briefing on the what and how of stem cell donation and after signing a consent form agreeing to become a hematopoietic stem cell donor, interested candidates will fill in a medical questionnaire and have a blood sample taken for tests and to determine their HLA profile, according to the law in force. Once this is done, the person listed with the Registry becomes a member of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and it provides a new chance at life.
About NRHSCVD
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is an institution responsible for coordinating and overseeing the activities related to recruitment, testing and hematopoietic stem cell donation from unrelated donors, in accordance with the standards of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA).
An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a data base of people who agreed to donate hematopoietic stem cells. Such data base is secure, in compliance with all current standards, and provides restricted access to data. Only authorized Registry personnel can access this data base.
The benefit of having a National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is that, once accredited by the World Marrow Donor Association, the registry is in permanent contact with similar registries worldwide which can support its searches for stem cell products, while providing a much bigger pool of potential donors.
About the Faculty of Letters
With 150 years of academic history and prestige, the Faculty of Letters is known today for being one of the most comprehensive, modern and dynamic higher education institutions in Romania that provides several annual academic programs in specific fields of study. The Faculty building, valued for its architectural worth, often hosts cultural, education or information events, creating a framework for dialogue and exchange of ideas between alumni and experts in professional areas.
Our caravan through the parks of Bucharest continues! The mobile donation centre, medical teams and volunteers will be present in Herăstrău Park today as well, regardless of the weather conditions. Tomorrow, on the 24th of September, you’ll still find us in Herăstrău Park, in the public parking lot across Pavilion H, after which we’ll move to Cișmigiu Park – main entrance, across the City Hall, during 25-26 September, and then to the Children’s Land Park – main path, during 27-28 September.
A medical unit for information and enlisting will also be available for three days in the Bucharest Old Town area, at the Merci Charity Boutique tea house (on 13 Smârdan Str. across the National Bank of Romania), according to the following schedule:
Thu 25 September 14:00-22:00
Sat 27 September 14:00-22:00
Sun 28 September 14:00-22:00
We invite you all to join us and volunteer for the campaign that promotes stem cell donating and registering with the NRHSCVD. By enlisting with the Registry of Stem Cell Donors, any person aged 18 to 45 could save the life of a patient with leukaemia or other serious conditions whose only cure is a stem cell transplant from a compatible donor. It is an amazing opportunity – the simple act of registering will strengthen the Romanian Registry and save more lives.
How can you support our Campaign?
Share information about the campaign events with your friends and give a “like” to our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rndvcsh www.facebook.com/rndvcsh
Help with the NRHSCVD registering of people in your community.
Participate in the information-education sessions addressed to high schools pupils (aged 16-18)
Donate money to the Association for the Registry of Stem Cell Donors (ARSCD) in support of its projects, via donations or sponsorships:
direct 2% of your income tax to ARSCD (based on the 230 and 200 forms);
direct 20% of the corporate income tax owed to the State budget, to ARSCD (based on a sponsorship contract);
transfer the money into the ARSCD account RO72RNCB0067142282350001 opened at BCR, Dr.Felix Branch, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
For more information about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website http://www.registru-celule-stem.ro ; www.registru-celule-stem.ro or our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rndvcsh ; www.facebook.com/rndvcsh . If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800.88.STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, or contact one of our 18 centres of stem cell donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
The campaign aims to raise awareness among people aged 18 to 45, encouraging their enlisting as volunteer donors of hematopoietic stem cells.
This year, we hope the community of registry listed volunteer donors increases its count to more than 20,000 people, which means more chances at life for Romanian patients unable to find compatible donors.
A year ago, prior to launching the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign to promote the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, only 2,202 people showed interest in becoming hematopoietic stem cell donors, but in the meantime, the number of donors listed with NRHSCVD grew from one month to another, currently reaching 14,295 people, of whom 7,198 registered this year. For now, the Romanian Registry is still small compared to most European registries which count between 100,000 and 500,000 active donors on average.
This year’s caravan can be found in four parks of Bucharest, every day between 14.00-22.00hrs, according to the following schedule: 19-21 September, Carol Park – Zodiac Fountain; 22-24 September Herăstrău Park – Pavilion H; 25-26 September, Cișmigiu Park – main entrance, across the City Hall; and 27-28 September, Children’s Land Park – main path. The “mobile donation centre”, a medically-equipped bus, will be available in all these locations. Teams of doctors and nurses will be there to provide related information to anyone who is interested, as well as free of charge tests for blood type, Rh status, blood sugar, and blood pressure and pulse rate measurements.
The campaign is organized by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors together with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre. More than 50 volunteers of the Association for the Registry of Stem Cell Donors joined the initiative and provided their support in promoting this event.
About NRHSCVD
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor.
As of April 2013, when NRHSCVD became operational, transplantations from a compatible unrelated donor became possible in Romania as well.
To date, in the three transplant centres available in the country, 30 unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantations were performed (17 last years and 13 this year, of which two from a national donor), compatible donors were identified for 24 people and the corresponding transplantation procedures are to be performed by the end of the year, while another 5 patients are waiting for the compatibility confirmation test results. 14 of the 43 patients on a transplant waiting list find themselves in this difficult situation. Their chances of being cured depend on finding a compatible donor in Romania. The NRHSCVD challenge is the ethnic diversity of the available donor population and improving the HLA typing resolution for Romanian donors.
For more information about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro or Facebook page www.facebook.com/rndvcsh . If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800.88.STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, or contact one of our 18 centres of stem cell donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
In June 2013, the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors officially launched “Donate a chance at life” – its communication campaign for promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells.
The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors, partner nongovernmental organizations (Bucharest Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations and the “Smile for Romania” Association in Târgoviște), as well as more than 50 volunteers who joined the initiative.
The volunteers involved in this project went on an awareness raising caravan across the country and it didn’t take long until the results started to show. Last year alone, 7,094 people registered with the NRHSCVD, and 21 transplantations were performed.
“It is an award that honours us and encourages us to increase our efforts to undertake these awareness raising campaigns among the general population. We are grateful to all the volunteers who engaged in this project and to the media outlets, for their support in reaching out to people and making them aware of how easily they could offer a chance at life to those who desperately need it. Currently, the Registry counts 13,236 voluntary donors, still too few to identify compatible donors for all the patients in need of a transplant.
We hope this year the community of registered voluntary donors comes to count more than 20,000 people, which would mean more chances at life for Romanian patients for whom we are unable to find compatible international donors. 19 of the 41 patients on a transplant waiting list find themselves in this difficult situation. Their chances of being cured depend on finding a compatible donor in Romania. If the Registry had 100,000 registered donors, it could provide a national source of cure at a considerably lower cost than the international one”, stated Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor. An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a data base of individuals who agreed to donate hematopoietic stem cells.
For more information about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website http://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/
If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800 88 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro or contact one of our 18 centres of stem cell donors. The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
Aurora Dragomirişteanu
NRHSCVD General Director
A larger number of donors means that more than 90 per cent of the patients diagnosed with leukemia in Romania will stand a higher chance at surviving. Concurrently with the campaign kick-off, the Community of Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in Romania will be officially recognized by the management of the Regional Institute of Oncology in Iași as being the first community of this kind in Romania. The event will be attended by Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors. “At present, our Registry counts almost 10,000 listed donors, a number which we hope to more than double this year.
There are patients for whom we are unable to find international compatible donors, so their chance for a cure depends on our identifying a national compatible donor, but for the time being, the Romanian Registry is too small to cover all requests. To date, 22 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedures have been performed, of which 20 involved an international donor. Currently, we have 10 patients for whom we haven’t been able to find compatible donors yet”, said Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
The volunteers of the Community of Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in Romania, together with the medical staff of the Iași Centre of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors, will organize several awareness raising campaigns encouraging the youth to register with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors. In March, we have scheduled caravans for promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells and registering donors with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
A medical team is prepared to go to the head offices of various institutions to provide information and take blood samples. “I strongly believe that people will want to get involved and help those who have nothing left but hope. All volunteer donors have to do is get informed, check their health status by contacting our national centres which perform blood tests and then just help. We can be powerful only if we join forces. Together, we Donate Hope”, said Ms. Iulia Nănescu, founder of the Community of Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in Romania.
To date, 2,994 people have registered with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors. Of these, more than 300 people registered as donors during the 9 days of caravanning through the parks of Bucharest.
In the last month, more than 400 people contacted us via our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and were scheduled for an appointment with one of our 18 centres of hematopoietic stem cell donors. Of those who showed interest in becoming a donor, more than 30 are from Constanța county. 25 patients are waiting for a compatible donor.
The Mobile Donation Centre – a medically-equipped bus – will be available in three locations of Constanța county. For four days, the caravan will be present in the seaside resorts of 2 Mai, Mangalia and Constanța, open to anyone who is interested in finding out more about stem cell donation or in becoming a donor.
The mobile donation centre provides people wishing to register as donors the possibility to get tested on the spot, free of charge, and to find out what is their blood type or Rh status. The results of tests for blood-transmitted infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, will be sent via snail mail or e-mail.
Campaign banners and an advertising tent providing information on stem cell donation will be set up in the area where the Mobile Donation Centre is in place. Also, those who wish to have their blood pressure or pulse rate measured or to have their blood sugar levels checked, will be able to do so free of charge. The event is promoted by groups of volunteers, under NRHSCVD coordination.
The “Donate a chance at life!” caravan can be found every day, between 14.00 and 22.00hrs, in the following locations:
15 August: 2 Mai – in front of the Limanu Town Hall building
16 August: Mangalia – in the old town at the Culture House of Mangalia Municipality
17-18 August: Constanța – at the entrance to the Tomis marina
For more information about the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, you can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and Facebook page registru-celule-stem , contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
This year, with the help of the Registry of Stem Cell Donors, 7 patients in need of a transplant who couldn’t find related compatible donors underwent successful transplantation procedures performed in the three national transplant centres: the Fundeni Clinical Institute (3 patients), the “Louis Țurcanu Emergency Hospital for Children” in Timișoara (2 patients) and the County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Târgu Mureș (2 patients). All seven patients were helped by international donors from Germany, Poland and Belgium.
25 patients are waiting for the identification of a compatible donor in view of transplantation. Seven patients who already have a confirmed compatible donor are scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation the following month.
As part of the “Donate a chance at life!” awareness raising campaign, the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in partnership with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre and the Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations initiated a series of events promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, organized in three parks of Bucharest and three locations of Constanța county.
The “Donate a chance at life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by NRHSCVD together with the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors, as well as with several volunteers and partner nongovernmental organizations (Bucharest Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations, “Give Life” Association, “A smile for Romania” Association, the Romanian Society of Haematology).
On behalf of all patients waiting for a chance at life,
the NRHSCVD and Bucharest BTC teams thank all
those who joined their efforts and whose deeply
humanitarian act may save a life!
For additional information, please contact us at:
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors
Dr. Aurora Dragomirişteanu, General Director of NRHSCVD
E-mail: aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro
Mobile: 0722.751.147
Telephone: 021.201.8810.
• 25 patients are waiting for a compatible donor
• Those interested in registering as a donor, can be tested on the spot in the “Mobile donation centre” set up in Tineretului (Youth) Park
One week into the “Donate a chance at life” caravan campaign organized in the Herăstrău and Alexandru Ioan Cuza parks of Bucharest, 199 people registered with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) via the caravan’s mobile donation centre. The event was promoted with the aid of more than 20 volunteers who crossed the two large parks on bikes, roller blades or on foot.
For those of you who want to know more about the stem cell donation or to become donors, the mobile caravan will be available over the next two days in Tineretului park, at the Șincai entrance, during 2 and 3 August 2013, between 11.00 and 20.00hrs.
The mobile donation centre provides people wishing to register as donors the possibility to get tested on the spot, free of charge, and to find out what is their blood type or Rh status. The results of tests for blood-transmitted infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, will be sent via snail mail or e-mail.
Advertising and first aid tents will be in place, providing information on stem cell donation, as well as the possibility to have one’s blood pressure or pulse rate measured or their blood sugar levels checked, free of charge.
At 11.00 and 17.00hrs, the volunteers of the Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations will hold a series of demo sessions on “Managing accidents” and “Basic first aid”.
On behalf of all patients waiting for a chance at life,
the NRHSCVD and Bucharest BTC teams thank all
those who joined their efforts and whose deeply humanitarian act may save a life!
This year, with the help of the Registry of Stem Cell Donors, 6 patients in need of a transplant who couldn’t find related compatible donors underwent successful transplantation procedures performed in the three national transplant centres: the Fundeni Clinical Institute (3 patients), the “Louis Țurcanu Emergency Hospital for Children” in Timișoara (2 patients) and the County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Târgu Mureș (1 patient today). All six patients were helped by international donors from Germany, Poland and Belgium.
25 patients are waiting for the identification of a compatible donor in view of transplantation. Seven patients who already have a confirmed compatible donor are scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation the following month.
As part of the “Donate a chance at life!” awareness raising campaign, the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in partnership with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre and the Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations initiated a series of events promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells. On 27 July, these will be organized in three parks of Bucharest.
For more information about the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, you can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and Facebook page registru-celule-stem , contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
For details, please contact Dr. Aurora Dragomirişteanu, General Director of the NRSCVD, via E-mail at aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro , Telephone at: +4021-201-8810 or Fax at: +4021-201-8828.
To date, 5 lives were saved as a result of unrelated donor stem cell transplantation procedures performed in national health units. 7 patients with already confirmed compatible donors are scheduled for transplantation in the following days. 14 patients in need of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, who couldn’t find a related compatible donor, are waiting for a chance at life!
The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors, as well as with several volunteers and partner nongovernmental organizations (Bucharest Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations, “Give Life” Association, “A smile for Romania” Association, the Romanian Society of Haematology).
The NRHSCVD vision is to have all national patients in need of a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an unrelated donor undergo the procedure in one of the country’s own transplant centres.
If a national patient needs hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and fails to find related compatible donors, the Registry tries to identify compatible donors. These patients’ lives depend on an efficient and accountable delivery of hematopoietic stem cells from a compatible donor. The “Donate a chance at life!” campaign is designed to increase public and professional awareness of hematopoietic stem cell donation as a way of helping patients.
“Starting 6 June 2013 when the campaign was launched, more than 100 people registered every week with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors” – Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of NRHSCVD
Who can register as a donor and how!
All healthy people aged 18 to 45 can sign up as voluntary donors of hematopoietic stem cells. After a full briefing on the what and how of stem cell donation and after signing a consent form agreeing to become a hematopoietic stem cell donor, interested candidates will fill in a medical questionnaire and have a blood sample taken for tests and to determine their HLA profile, according to the law in force. Once registered with the NRHSCVD, the person becomes a member of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors
Where and when?
The events will take place during 27 July – 3 August 2013, every day from 10.00 to 18.00hrs, in the following locations:
Herăstrău Park – Charles de Gaulle entrance:
Sat 27 July 2013
Mon 31 July 2013
Wed 31 July 2013
Al. I. Cuza (IOR) Park – parking area on Liviu Rebreanu Bd.
Sun 28 July 2013
Tue 30 July 2013
Thu 1 August 2013
Tineretului Park – Șincai entrance
Fri 2 August 2013
Sat 3 August 2013
At all the above-mentioned locations, you will find the “Mobile donation centre” provided with the medical equipment required for blood testing of persons interested in becoming donors, advertising and first aid tents offering information about the donation of stem cells, a series of demo sessions on “Managing accidents” and “Basic first aid”, as well as the possibility to have one’s blood pressure or pulse rate measured or their blood sugar levels checked, free of charge.
The event will be promoted with the aid of volunteer groups who will criss-cross the parks on bikes, roller blades or on foot.
As part of the National Emergency Network of Romanian Amateur Radio Operators, AVLES amateur radio operators will set up a mobile transmitter-receiver station for radio exchanges in Bucharest and the rest of the country promoting the event.
For more information about the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, you can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and Facebook page registru-celule-stem , contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
Today, 6 June 2013, the head office of the Ministry of Health hosted the official launch of “Donate a chance at life” awareness raising campaign for promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells.
The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with all the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors.
Why the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is a public institution established under the Ministry of Health according to Government Decision no. 760/2009, whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor.
An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive data base of individuals who agreed to donate hematopoietic stem cells, as well as of patients in need of a transplant. This data base is secure, in compliance with all current related international standards, and facilitates the processing of requests for hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) donation and supply, both in Romania and abroad.
How to donate
If a national patient needs hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and fails to find related compatible donors, the Registry tries to identify compatible donors. However, the Registry can only do its job if there are people willing to help those in need. This is why, the NRHSCVD aims to raise awareness about the act of stem cell donation among healthy people aged 18 to 45 who can register to become voluntary donors of hematopoietic stem cells.
The members of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors can donate until the age of 60, but registration with the NRHSCVD does not automatically imply a donation of hematopoietic stem cells.
Those who are interested in becoming donors can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, or access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro. The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
For more information about the hematopoietic stem cell donation, please contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
Registry beneficiaries
With the aid of the Registry, Romanian children and adults diagnosed with leukemia or other serious diseases of the blood tissue or immune system have a chance to find donors faster and easier. Moreover, they no longer have to leave the country for the unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedure, like they used to, they can now use the services of one of the transplant centres in Romania.
“The benefit of having a National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is that it is in permanent contact with similar Registries worldwide, with which it shares working standards and procedures, while providing access to a much bigger pool of potential compatible donors for the patients in need of a transplant”, said Dr. Aurora Dragomirişteanu, Director of NRHSCVD.
The NRHSCVD enjoys international recognition in the field and operates in accordance with the international standards established by the World Marrow Donor Association. As a result, it meets the criteria for interconnecting with the International Donor Registries (European Marrow Donor Information System– EMDIS and Europdonor – Bone Marrow Donors Worlwide). As members of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the Romanian Registry, together with the national hematopoietic stem cell transplant centres, ensures the quality and security standards set at European level.
To date, more than 22 million voluntary donors of hematopoietic stem cells are listed with international registries worldwide. Since a compatible donor is more likely to be identified in the same population or geographical area as the patient, most countries in the world created their own registries of hematopoietic stem cell voluntary donors.
“The Registry helps shorten the waiting period, particularly for those patients caught in a race against time due to a specific health condition or disease… Such diseases are not easily manageable and patients shouldn’t have to wait for more than two months to find a donor”, said Adrian Pană, State Secretary, the Ministry of Health.