Girl with cancer finds bone marrow donor thanks to Twitter

2023-06-30 18:00:04

According to the WHO, 300,000 cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed globally each year.
Leukemia is one of the most common forms of neoplasia among minors.
The #SigueNadandoDory campaign made it possible to find a compatible bone marrow donor for a girl diagnosed with cancer.

Childhood cancer remains a global public health problem and although it is a deadly disease, thanks to a campaign on social networks, a minor managed to find a compatible bone marrow donor. With this in mind, digital media demonstrate the impact they have.

In this vein, it is often thought that the social networks they only function as an entertainment space. Although sometimes it is like that, there are also others where they can really make the difference between life and death.

Current panorama of childhood cancer

However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 300,000 cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed each year. The figure is quite high and the most alarming thing is that many of the patients develop discomfort that lasts for the rest of their lives.

While most cases of tumors in adults are caused by risk factors that can be prevented, when it comes to minors the situation is quite different. To date, the origin of this disease in pediatric patients is not known with certainty, although on some occasions it is a genetic problem.

In the case of childhood cancer, leukemia is one of the most common variants. In accordance with Mayo Clinic Its main symptoms are the following:

Fever or chills. Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections. Weight loss without trying. Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen. Bleeding and bruising easily. Recurrent nosebleeds. Small red spots on the skin (petechia). Hyperhidrosis, especially at night. Pain or tenderness in the bones.

Pride stories: Girl with cancer finds bone marrow donor thanks to Twitter

Now it’s time to talk about a particular case that demonstrates the power of the internet. It all starts with Paula, an 11-year-old girl from Spain. In 2022 she was diagnosed with leukemia and immediately began her treatment.

Sometimes she had to stay in the hospital for long periods of time. To achieve her recovery, a bone marrow donor was necessary and it seemed a complex task because it also had to be a match.

Through her father, the minor’s parents had an idea. On Twitter they created the hashtag #KeepSwimmingDory to tell the story of her daughter with cancer and search for a bone marrow donor. The most surprising thing is that after almost a year they achieved their goal.

#PRESENT | ???? Little Paula, sick with #leukemiahas found a compatible bone marrow donor ????

#KeepSwimmingDory #DonaMedulla #DonaVida

— Teleonuba (@TeleonubaTV) June 29, 2023

After doing the necessary compatibility tests in the Hospital Virgen del Rocío in Seville the ideal person was found. The August transplant is now scheduled to take place in early August.

Although that is not all, the family of the minor gave other important news. During the search, they identified several donors who were not compatible with Paula but could be compatible with other children with cancer. Therefore this unexpected campaign on Twitter will also help to link other people and save more lives.

Also read:

Childhood cancer cannot be prevented, but it can be detected early

IMSS presents a new program to combat childhood cancer: This is what it consists of

The most frequent types of childhood cancer in Mexico