Choi Kang-hee's Blood Donations and Stem Cell Donation: A Journey of Self-Esteem

Actress Choi Kang-hee appeared on MBC's 'Point of Omniscient Interference' and shared her heartwarming story of donating hematopoietic stem cells to help leukemia patients, explaining how blood donation provided her with comfort. She revealed that whenever her self-esteem was low, donating blood gave her solace knowing her blood could help someone. She also disclosed the background behind her decision to donate hematopoietic stem cells, emphasizing the importance of blood donation and organ donation.

Choi Kang-hee receiving plasma donation / Source: MBC YouTube

A Special Way to Recover Self-Esteem... Choi Kang-hee's Blood Donation

Choi Kang-hee honestly shared her experience of recovering her self-esteem through blood donation, saying, "Whenever I felt useless, I went to donate blood." For her, the meaning of blood donation went beyond simply sharing blood; it was an opportunity to reaffirm her self-worth. She also mentioned setting an alarm for every two weeks to consistently donate blood, highlighting the positive impact it had on her life.

Decision to Donate Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Leukemia Patients

Through her continued blood donations, Choi Kang-hee learned about the need for hematopoietic stem cell donations from a brochure and decided to register as a donor. Years later, she received a call and discovered that she was a rare match, possessing compatible human leukocyte antigens (HLA), allowing her to donate her hematopoietic stem cells to a leukemia patient. Choi Kang-hee was hospitalized for a few days, receiving injections and undergoing a procedure to extract hematopoietic stem cells into her blood. Fortunately, she recovered without any side effects or complications, emphasizing that donation is not as difficult as it might seem.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation Methods and Importance

Hematopoietic stem cells are crucial cells that make up blood, acting as the mother cells that create all blood cells. Leukemia patients suffer from damaged hematopoietic stem cells, preventing the creation of new, healthy blood cells. To survive, they require healthy hematopoietic stem cells from a donor. This donation process is similar to component blood donation and requires a match between the donor's and recipient's human leukocyte antigens (HLA). However, the probability of a match between unrelated individuals is incredibly low, resulting in a great need for more potential donors.

Post-Donation Side Effects and Potential for Graft-versus-Host Disease

After donation, the recipient may experience graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a rejection reaction. This occurs when the donor's T-lymphocytes attack the recipient's body, with a 50% chance of occurrence in non-related transplants. However, despite this risk, hematopoietic stem cell donation is considered a precious act of giving, offering a second chance at life for leukemia patients.

Choi Kang-hee expressed her hope that her donation experience will encourage more people to participate in blood donation and hematopoietic stem cell donation. She believes that blood donation and organ donation are powerful ways to save lives and provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Websites for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation in Korea

You can register through the Korean Red Cross Blood Services. This is not a direct donation; it is a registration of your willingness to donate.

Link: https://bloodinfo.net/knrcbs/main.do

Frequent blood donors may be approached or find informational pamphlets at blood donation centers, allowing them to apply in writing. However, this does not guarantee immediate donation. Matching with a leukemia patient in need is necessary, and it's possible to wait for many years without being contacted.

What are Hematopoietic Stem Cells?

Hematopoietic stem cells are the mother cells that generate all blood cells in our bodies, representing the origin of blood cells. Primarily found in bone marrow, they have the ability to differentiate into various blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc.). Because of this, hematopoietic stem cells are also called "pluripotent cells".