Private Jeon Sehyeok of Naval Education Command Donates Hematopoietic Stem Cells ... "The Courage to Connect Lives"

Donation Made Just Over a Year After Registering as a Prospective Donor

Private Jeon Sehyeok, currently serving as an interpreter at the Naval Education Command Combat Arms School, recently took the lead in sharing life by donating hematopoietic stem cells for a patient with blood cancer.

Private Jeon Sehyeok of the Naval Education Command Combat Arms School. (Photo by Jeon)

Hematopoietic stem cells are progenitor cells that produce blood cells such as white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. For donation, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type must match. The probability of a match between a donor and a patient who are not related by blood is about 1 in 20,000, making it extremely rare.

Private Jeon developed an interest in blood donation after witnessing a family member's battle with cancer during his school years. Sharing in their pain, he realized the importance of life and sought ways to help save lives.

While regularly donating blood, he learned about hematopoietic stem cell donation through a nurse's recommendation. Wanting to share love and life with those suffering from leukemia and blood cancer, he registered as a prospective donor of hematopoietic stem cells in April 2024.

After registering as a prospective donor and while serving in the military, he was notified that there was a blood cancer patient whose HLA matched his. Subsequent detailed blood tests also confirmed a match, leading to this hematopoietic stem cell donation.

After completing the donation, Private Jeon Sehyeok said, "When one of my family members was fighting illness, I promised myself that I would one day become someone who could save another person's life. Now, as a soldier who protects the lives of the people, I am especially grateful that I was able to help save someone's life through the small act of donating hematopoietic stem cells."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.