Overcoming 0.005% Odds... 'Miracle' Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation After Six Years of Waiting

An official in charge of disaster medical work at the Yangcheon District Office in Seoul has moved the local community by donating hematopoietic stem cells to a blood cancer patient, overcoming odds of one in 20,000.

Sangyoon Kim, a senior officer preparing for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Courtesy of Yangcheon District.

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On April 19, Yangcheon District (headed by Mayor Lee Kijae) announced that Sangyoon Kim, a senior officer in the Department of Pharmaceutical Affairs, had recently carried out a life-saving act by donating hematopoietic stem cells.

Hematopoietic stem cells are stem cells that produce white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets, and transplantation is an essential treatment for patients with intractable blood diseases such as blood cancer and leukemia. However, the probability of finding a matching donor between unrelated individuals is only about 0.005% (1/20,000*100), making it extremely difficult to find a suitable donor.

After registering as a potential donor in 2019, Officer Kim met a matching recipient nearly six years later and completed the donation. Even among those who express willingness to donate, it is rare for the process to result in an actual donation due to dropouts or health issues, making his action all the more noteworthy.

Holding a paramedic license, Officer Kim has encountered countless patients at the crossroads of life and death while working at industrial sites, fire rescue squads, and emergency medical centers. These field experiences became the foundation that enabled him to make the decision to donate without hesitation.

Officer Kim said, "As a paramedic, it was routine for me to visit unknown patients to offer help, so saving lives has always been a familiar role. This donation was especially meaningful because, beyond professional duty, it gave me the opportunity as an individual to devote myself wholeheartedly to a single patient."

Support from colleagues played a decisive role during the donation process. He expressed his gratitude, saying, "The donation required time for hospitalization and recovery, and it would have been difficult to follow through without consideration from my department. Thanks to the encouragement from the public health center director, department head, team leader, and other colleagues, who called it 'the most meaningful act,' I was able to make the donation without any great burden."

Lee Kijae, Mayor of Yangcheon District, said, "The courage and actions of Officer Sangyoon Kim became a miracle that restored hope to someone in a desperate situation. I hope this case inspires more people to take an interest in hematopoietic stem cell donation."

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