Derby doctor donates stem cells in bid to save stranger’s life
Acute Medicine Consultant Dr Thomas Livingston makes a difference to the lives of patients in the Medical Assessment Unit and Ambulatory Care Centre at the Royal Derby Hospital on a daily basis.
Now, after being inspired by his mum’s story, Thomas has donated his stem cells to treat a cancer patient on the other side of the world – who he has never met.
In 2014, Thomas’s mum was diagnosed with myeloma and was given chemotherapy and then treated with stem cells to attempt to treat the cancer.
Thomas’s mum is now in remission, but it was her journey that inspired him to sign up to the stem cell donor registery in the hope that one day, he too could help someone in a similar position. In 2015, a year after his mum’s diagnosis, Thomas signed up to become a stem cell donor through the charity DKMS:
“A few of my friends and I took part in the Tough Mudder event to raise money for the charity and then signed up to become donors. They sent me a pack in the post to send off swabs to see if I was a match for anyone, which I never really expected.”
But in September of this year, he received a surprising phone call.
Thomas added: “I was asked to be the primary stem cell donor for a patient. An appointment time and date had been set up for me at a London clinic if I could make it, and I remember thinking; wow, this is happening really fast!”
Thomas then completed a pre-donation medical check and began preparations for donating his stem cells. This included having three injections per day of the naturally occurring hormone granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in the four days leading up to the donation. This helped to mobilise his stem cells and white blood cells into his blood stream.
Then, on Tuesday 19 November, Thomas made the trip to London to make his donation.
The process lasted for around four hours, and involved Thomas’s blood being taken via a needle in one arm before passing into a cell-separating machine. The machine separated his stems cells from his blood, before returning his blood back into his body via a needle in his other arm in a process known as peripheral stem cell donation.
“It wasn’t painful at all, it was just like giving blood”, Thomas said.
“There’s a lot of misconception around donating stem cells, but 90 per cent of donations are via peripheral donations like mine was, rather than harvesting them directly from your bones.
“I felt a bit woozy at times due to a calcium deficiency, but that was treated with a drip. Other than that it was painless. In fact, I was back at my hotel in time for cheese and wine!”
For patients with blood cancer, stem cell transplants can often by one of the final treatment options, and while the process was over quickly for Thomas, he understands how vital his donation could be to the patient who receives his cells:
“I was back at work after three days and it didn’t feel like a big deal to me afterwards – but this could be life-saving for the patient who receives the cells. Knowing that this could make that patient better is a really awesome feeling.
“Compared to what I’ve done, the treatment the patients are going through is on another level, and knowing it’s what my mum went through was on my mind the whole time.”
Since making his donation, Thomas has been informed that his stem cells are to be used to treat a lady in America.
He added: “I just hope now that the patient on the other side is doing well.”