Shenzhen Business Daily · Reading Client Reporter Zhang Yan Correspondent Ou Entong
On the morning of July 25, in the southeast of Hong Kong's Kowloon Peninsula, on both sides of Victoria Harbour, high-rise buildings were lined up, and the scorching sun reflected the light reflected by the glass curtain wall, which seemed to be even more scorching.
Hong Kong Children's Hospital
At the Hong Kong Children's Hospital, a young mother paced anxiously, her heart burning more than the dog sun.
Finally, a man in green carrying a tank of liquid nitrogen appeared, "It's time for you, my Niuniu (pseudonym) is saved!" With tears in her eyes, the young mother murmured that it was Niuniu's brother's cord blood that had arrived as scheduled, which had been stored at the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank in Guangzhou.
It is understood that this is the first case of umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell export handled by the China Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Database (hereinafter referred to as the "China Bone Marrow Bank") after signing a cooperation agreement with seven umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell banks across the country.
Just after the full moon, severe thalassemia was detected
Niuniu, with the joy and expectation of the whole family, was born in Shanwei City, Guangdong Province in July 2019. Just after the full moon, during another routine child health examination, Niu Niu was found to have low hemogloin, and the doctor initially suspected that she was Eastern Mediterranean anemic.
This news was like a bolt from the blue, making it difficult for Niuniu's parents to accept. After another 3 months, her parents took Niuniu to the hospital for a follow-up examination, and she was finally diagnosed with severe β-Eastern Mediterranean anemia. In order to maintain her life, regular blood transfusion and iron discharge have become Niuniu's daily life.
According to reports, the full name of Eastern Mediterranean is "Eastern Mediterranean that is, globin production disorder anemia", which is a hereditary refractory hemolytic anemia, which is usually inherited by parents at the same time to carry the recessive pathogenic gene to the child, resulting in its onset. Patients with severe β-thalassemia begin to develop the disease in infancy and present with pale or yellow complexion, poor appetite, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Most patients with thalassemia take regular blood transfusion and iron excretion as symptomatic treatment, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is currently the only method that can cure thalassaemia.
Niuniu's mother learned from the doctor that there are three sources of hematopoietic stem cells in the human body, namely bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and peripheral blood.
The birth of a younger brother ignites new hope
Niuniu's parents struggled to find suitable hematopoietic stem cells for her, but they never succeeded.
Unexpectedly, the god of fate threw an olive branch of hope to Niuniu in another way. At the end of 2019, Niuniu's mother became pregnant again, and after prenatal diagnosis, the baby in her womb was healthy and sound. The doctor suggested to Niuniu's mother that Erbao's umbilical cord blood be stored and used to treat Niuniu.
In August 2020, Niuniu's younger brother was born in the Second People's Hospital of Shanwei City, and his cord blood was successfully collected and stored in the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank.
In 2022, Niuniu's mother moved to Hong Kong with her two children to reunite with Niuniu's father's family. Since then, Niuniu's treatment has also been transferred to Hong Kong.
After 2 years of waiting, in June 2024, Niuniu received good news! After assessment by the professional medical team of Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Niuniu's physical condition is eligible for transplantation and she is ready for cord blood transplantation.
More than 200 hospitals in the province can collect cord blood
After receiving the news, Niuniu's mother immediately contacted the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank. After the pre-delivery review of the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank, all the indicators of Niuniu's brother's cord blood met the application standards. At the same time, doctors from Hong Kong Children's Hospital confirmed that they would use the umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells to transplant Niuniu.
To this end, the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank has set up a dedicated working group to maintain close communication with the Hong Kong Children's Hospital to coordinate the delivery date and related procedures. The relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank said that the export of umbilical cord blood must strictly comply with relevant national regulations. In accordance with the Administrative Measures for the Entry and Exit of Special Blood jointly formulated by the National Health Commission, the General Administration of Customs, the General Association of the Red Cross Society of China and the Logistics Support Department of the Central Military Commission at the end of 2022, with the joint assistance and guidance of the China Bone Marrow Bank and the Red Cross Society of Guangdong Province, on July 12, the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank submitted an application for the export of umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells to the General Administration of Customs of China.
On July 18, the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank obtained the approval document, which took only 3 working days, reserving sufficient time for the umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells to be delivered to Hong Kong on schedule. There is a precedent for the cross-regional transfer of cord blood to Hong Kong, and there is a precedent for the Guangdong Cord Blood Bank. In 2018, the bank completed the first case of cord blood sent to Hong Kong when the application for the cord blood was made by a 7-year-old girl with severe β Eastern Mediterranean and the cord blood came from her sister. The relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank said that as long as the pregnant woman gives birth in a hospital above the second level in Guangdong Province and has established a working relationship with the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank, the cord blood can be stored in the bank, and there is no restriction on the nationality of the pregnant woman. As of July 2024, more than 200 hospitals in the province have established a working relationship with the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank for cord blood collection.
Guangdong and Hong Kong staged a relay for life
In the early morning of July 25, a relay for life was being launched in Guangdong and Hong Kong.
Niuniu's brother's umbilical cord blood was carefully removed from a cryogenic liquid nitrogen tank at -196°C and encapsulated in a dedicated liquid nitrogen tank for transport. The staff of the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank took a transport vehicle and went straight to the Luohu Port in Shenzhen.
After the cord blood is delivered to the Hong Kong Children's Hospital, the staff carefully checks the relevant information
With the full cooperation of customs, the Red Cross and other departments, the staff carrying the umbilical cord blood transferred through the green channel quickly completed all the necessary customs clearance procedures. At 11:40 on the same day, the umbilical cord blood was successfully delivered to the Hong Kong Children's Hospital. It is understood that every step of the transfer strictly follows the relevant provisions of the "Measures for the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Special Blood", and the whole process is legal and efficient.
Dr. Zhuo Jialiang, Consultant of Blood Stem Cell Transplantation at Hong Kong Children's Hospital, and Zhou Haiyang, Director of Clinical Application Center of Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank, were interviewed by the media
Li Herong, member of the party group and vice president of the Provincial Red Cross Society, said that this umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell not only saved the life of a child, rekindled the flame of hope for a family, but also demonstrated the spirit of "humanity, fraternity and dedication". The successful handover of umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells is the first case of umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell export handled by the Chinese Bone Marrow Bank of the Red Cross Society of China and seven umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell banks across the country after signing cooperation agreements, laying a solid foundation for more umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell export work in the future.
According to reports, the Guangdong Provincial Cord Blood Bank will continue to deepen cooperation with medical institutions inside and outside the Greater Bay Area, help the scientific research and development of the clinical application of cord blood, and make greater contributions to the construction of a "healthy Bay Area" and the improvement of regional medical services.