New Delhi [India], June 01: Cordlife India’s “Save The Sibling” initiative is giving new hope to families affected by thalassemia. Conceived and supported by Cordlife India, the project was launched on 14 November 2022 with the aim of helping children suffering from severe thalassemia through advanced stem cell treatment.
The first successful case under this program was completed on 16 October 2025. The treatment involved a 7-year-old boy, Akshoy Sarker Dhrubo, who was suffering from Hb E beta-thalassemia, a severe blood disorder. Since childhood, he depended on regular blood transfusions to survive. Frequent transfusions also caused dangerous iron overload in his body.
Doctors could not find a fully matched stem cell donor within the family. To overcome this challenge, the family underwent a special IVF procedure with advanced genetic testing under the guidance of Dr. Rajeev Agarwal and his team. The process ensured that the newborn baby would be healthy and a perfect stem cell match for the elder brother.
1 May 2026
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After the birth of baby Aradhya, stem cells were collected from the newborn’s umbilical cord blood and safely cryogenically preserved through Cordlife India, highlighting the potential of cord blood banking in supporting life-saving treatments. The child’s mother, Mrs. Madhabi Rani, also donated stem cells as a half-matched donor under the treatment of Dr. Joydeep Chakrabarty and his medical team.
Doctors then performed a combined stem cell transplant using both the mother’s stem cells and the newborn sibling’s cord blood stem cells. After treatment and careful medical care, the child recovered successfully. He no longer needs blood transfusions and is now stable and healthy.
A significant part of the IVF, cord blood preservation, and transplantation expenses was facilitated through support extended under Cordlife India’s “Save The Sibling” initiative.
This successful outcome highlights the growing importance of stem cell banking and the potential of preserved cord blood in supporting life-saving treatments. It also underscores how preserving a newborn’s stem cells with Cordlife today can serve as a valuable biological resource for the future, offering families access to advanced therapeutic options when they may need them most.
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