Irina joined the Registry in 2023, and already in 2025 there was a match with the genotype of the patient in need of transplantation. The main motive for the girl to join the Registry was the information that Russia has an insufficient number of bone marrow donors and a large number of patients who need a transplant.

“It was an unfamiliar phone number, the call was unexpected for me, and to say that the information about possible donation did not scare me would be untrue. At first, I asked for time to think. I had stereotypes. Plus children, work – I was worried about how to combine it all. But it was impossible for me to refuse,” Irina recalls.

When the girl made the decision, she immediately donated blood for confirmatory typing. During the stimulation of hematopoietic stem cells into the bloodstream, she experienced unpleasant sensations of bone pain. The girl admits that she easily endured all the stages of donation because she knew exactly what it was all for.

“I didn't have the feeling that I was saving someone. I just clearly understood: we can all be on both sides – today you are a donor, and tomorrow you or your loved one may need a transplant. And someone may not wait,” Irina shares.

We thank Irina for her strength, determination and true humanity. This is an inspiring example of how professionalism and compassion make the world a better place.