With stem cell transplantation, back to the beloved hobby
In the spring of 2024, Henry Walker from Oulu was diagnosed with a bone marrow disease for which a stem cell transplant is one of the only treatment options. Fortunately, a suitable donor was found quickly through the Stem Cell Registry.
A November day at Pasila station. Henry Walker, a 13-year-old from Oulu, has just returned from a follow-up visit in Meilahti and received good news—perhaps the best there is. Recovery after the stem cell transplant has progressed well, and the last remaining medication has been discontinued. Ahead lies a train journey home.
Walker has had a very different school year. He has studied from home for a year and spent much of his everyday life in isolation from friends and from his beloved hobby, football, with the Oulu-based Tervarit Juniors team.
A lot has happened over the past year. The route between Helsinki and Oulu has been traveled many times during this period.
The illness was discovered by a coincidence
In spring 2024, Henry was diagnosed with a disease called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), for which stem cell transplantation is the only treatment option. In this disease, the bone marrow does not function normally; due to mutations in the stem cells, the formation and maturation of blood cells is disrupted. The disease can progress to leukemia (AML).
Henry’s condition was discovered by chance. He hadn’t even been ill but was living the normal life of a sporty young person. A fracture in his toe and previous earlier fractures led the doctor to order more detailed blood tests for Henry.
“The diagnosis was initially uncertain. The blood tests showed a lower than normal number of white blood cells and platelets. Since the values did not improve in follow-up tests, we were referred to the pediatric hematology and oncology clinic at OYS. More detailed examinations indicated a bone marrow dysfunction, and the final diagnosis and need for stem cell transplantation were confirmed through genetic testing just a few weeks after the first blood tests,” says Henry’s mother, Katariina Walker.
The backup donor saved Henry
A suitable donor was found fairly quickly through the Stem Cell Registry in summer 2024. However, before the planned transplant, there was a dramatic moment when the primary donor canceled at the very last minute.
“Of course, the last-minute cancellation felt completely unreasonable,” says Katariina Walker.
Fortunately, there was a backup donor whose tissue type was close to Henry’s. The treatment was ultimately delayed by only a couple of weeks. The stem cell transplant was successfully performed on Henry in November 2024. It went well, though not without symptoms of graft-versus-host disease. Recovery from those symptoms took several months.
During the treatment period, Henry also received blood products: red blood cells, platelets, and immunoglobulin prepared from plasma donated by blood donors.
It was only in spring 2025 that Henry’s condition began to improve, and he was allowed to start moving outside the home. For a long time, Henry could only see his friends outdoors. Luckily, the summer weather enabled a gradual return to football.
As his condition improved, fishing trips to the cottage and overnight stays at his grandparents’ became possible. Henry was also allowed to invite individual friends over, provided they and their families were healthy. A great moment of joy was getting permission from the doctor to go to the store to buy fishing lures during quiet hours.
AC Oulu helped in the recovery process
The hardest part of the illness and treatments for Henry has been the collapse of his physical fitness. The contrast to his previous life was huge when he couldn’t attend football practice.
“It’s tough when you can’t do what you love,” Henry’s mother says.
However, comfort during the recovery process has come from the AC Oulu football team, which took Henry under its wing. Henry got to watch the team’s matches, greet the players, and was even involved in laying the foundation stone for the new stadium.
A concrete way to help
For those considering joining the Stem Cell Registry or thinking about donating blood, Henry has a concise message: “Both are worth it.”
Henry’s mother, Katariina, hopes that awareness of the Stem Cell Registry will increase, especially among young people: “It has been surprising to see how little people know about the registry.”
“This is, after all, an easy, safe, and concrete way to help,” Walker says.
The help of an unknown donor brought Henry back to school and onto the field. The Tervarit Juniors futsal games await this weekend, right after the trip home.
Last modified: 11.12.2025
