Local Woman Has Further Op To Help Another
19/01/12
Julie's second op to save strangerWednesday, January 18, 2012Carmarthen JournalFollow
A ST CLEARS woman who donated stem cells to save a dying Russian teenager is to undergo another operation to donate white blood cells this weekend.
Massage therapist Julie Arms-Williams, 51, from the town's Station Road was shocked to find she was the only listed match in the world to provide vital bone marrow to the 19-year-old.
Julie, who has been a regular blood donor since she was a teenager, having given 49 pints of blood in total, joined the Welsh Bone Marrow Donation Register (WBMD) many years ago.
After being called for tests last May, Julie was found to be a match for a leukaemia patient being treated in Moscow.
Julie's stem cell donation from her bone marrow was the only chance that the unnamed Russian man had of recovering from gruelling chemotherapy.
"It's just an honour that I can help anybody, what I've got inside me is helping save this boy," said Julie.
Several samples had to be taken to see how close Julie's blood matched the Russian's.
Julie later underwent a full medical check-up weeks before the transplant process started in September at St Joseph's Hospital in Newport, where stem cells were separated from bone marrow, before being flown to Moscow.
The teenager was given the successful transplant the following day.
"He's out of hospital; I sobbed when I heard," said Julie.
However, Julie still has another donation to make.
The teenager has been accepting Julie's cells at 95 per cent; with the Russians asking if Julie will donate the remaining five per cent through her white blood cells, which will be flown out to Russia.
Julie was to donate further cells last week, but the operation has been delayed.
Julie said: "They were not quite ready for January 10, I'm going back to St Joseph's hospital this Sunday; I'll be giving my cells on Monday."
She said the delay was no cause for concern.
"He's doing fine, they've just moved it on a fortnight.
"These white cells are going to be like an antibiotic, giving him a boost; 95 per cent of his cells are working."
Julie said the weekend donation would be far simpler than previous operations.
"I don't have to have any injections for this, they'll be taking my white cells from my blood through a cell separator."
Julie, who hopes to one day meet the anonymous Russian, has now got in touch with a donor in a similar situation to herself.
She has been in contact with Lancashire-based Susan Radcliffe, who donated stem cells to a Maltese boy.