For one person, a moment from their own life – for another, a chance to live.

– When there was an opportunity to help, there was no reason not to join.

The Finnish Red Cross Blood Service Stem Cell Registry is a network of volunteers from which suitable donors are sought for patients with serious illnesses. Each year, around 60 registry members get the opportunity to save a life. Donors are selected based on factors such as tissue type compatibility.

Only six months later, Liinu received a call inviting her to further testing. She had already decided when joining the registry that she would help if she were ever matched with a patient.

– I was quite excited to be selected for the process. It felt truly meaningful, Liinu recalls.

A stem cell transplant is used to treat conditions such as leukemia and other malignant blood disorders when all other treatment options have been exhausted. In a stem cell transplant, the patient’s diseased stem cells are replaced with healthy stem cells collected from a volunteer donor. Each year, around 150 patients in Finland need the help of a volunteer stem cell donor.

Blood samples were taken from Liinu, and based on the results, she was identified as the best possible donor match. This was followed by comprehensive health examinations. Hospital visits required time, planning, and energy, but the process itself went smoothly.

– It is quite a responsibility to know that I am the one helping this particular patient. But for me, that responsibility has also been a source of motivation and a driving force throughout the process.

Growth factor is a naturally occurring substance that is present in the human body in small amounts. Liinu received growth factor injections, which stimulated the stem cells in her bone marrow to multiply and move into her bloodstream. Once the stem cells had entered the bloodstream, the collection process could begin. The stem cells were collected through cannulas placed in the veins of her arms, and the procedure lasted approximately five to six hours.

Liinu fell ill while receiving the growth factor injections, but the stem cell collection was still successfully completed.

– Both the hospital staff and the Stem Cell Registry team were incredibly kind and supportive throughout the entire process. Not once did I feel that I was going through it alone.

Liinu’s family and friends encouraged her throughout the donation process. Through their admiration and support, she also came to realize just how meaningful her contribution had been.

For Liinu, physical recovery from the stem cell donation took a little longer than expected. She had to scale back intense physical activities, which was sometimes difficult for someone competing in cheerleading at the European Championship level. Today, however, she is doing well. University studies and a move into her first home are just around the corner. Little by little, her days are once again filling up with sports, studies, and time spent with friends.

– I hope that the patient who received my stem cells found hope and an opportunity for a healthier life.

Liinu has words of encouragement for anyone selected to become a stem cell donor.

– The process can feel nerve-racking and even frightening, but you can do it anyway. You can go on knowing that you have done something truly important.

You can join the Stem Cell Registry at any Finnish Red Cross Blood Service donation centre. You can also register through our website by ordering a home sample collection kit.

– I hope that as many people as possible can give a moment of their own lives to this. For someone else, it may make an entire future possible.