Prof. Wiesław W. Jędrzejczak
And in Poland it is impossible?
Published Nov. 9, 2022 11:54
FOT. ADAM STEPIEN / AGENCJA GAZETA
I read recently that a son saved his father's life in Kiev. No, not in the midst of hostilities, but as a bone marrow donor. My father developed severe aplastic anemia (a disease in which the marrow does not produce blood cells). It is a potentially fatal disease that is treated with bone marrow transplantation from a healthy donor, but no such adult donor was found to be compatible with the patient. However, a simple and effective method of transplanting from a half-compatible donor was developed several years ago. Almost everyone has such a potential dose. They are all children, all parents, half siblings and some cousins. The younger the donor, the better. The patient has a five-year-old son and he was the donor for him. The procedure was performed successfully and the patient is alive.
The problem is that if he were in Poland he would have to die. He would have to die, because the Polish law: the Transplantation Act (Art. 12, paragraph 2) allows the minor to be a donor only for siblings, and the father, as we know, is not a brother.
Polish law was created at a time when the technology of transplantation from a half-compatible donor was not available in adult recipients. However, the situation has changed significantly and only last year in Poland over eighty such procedures were performed when the donor could be an adult relative. However, for e.g. a 40-year-old patient, a 17-year-old son would certainly be a better donor than a 70-year-old father.
It is therefore necessary to simply change the provision in Art. 12, paragraph 2 of the Transplantation Act from the wording "for the sake of siblings" to the phrase "for the benefit of a related person". I have already written to the Ministry of Health on this matter and even got a reply that the proposal is being considered, but time is passing and you cannot hear about the change. Maybe they are collecting more cases for amendment.
Ladies and Gentlemen, P.T. Members can do the Ministry and you will initiate this simple change. Someone's life can be saved.
