First Cord Blood Transplant Carried out in Jordan
As a newborn baby, Abdel Aziz was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Chediak-Higashi syndrome. The disease, which can cause defective white blood cells to attack the patient’s organs, is not treatable unless the patient finds a match from a bone marrow donor.
Unfortunately, Abdel was unable to find a donor, as none of his family members presented a match. His doctors at the King Hussein Cancer Centre were at a loss and unsure of how they could possibly save the child. It was soon decided that the only way to save Abdel’s life was to perform a procedure that had never before been seen in Jordan: a cord blood transplant.
A cord blood donor was found for Abdel in Europe and the unit was quickly shipped to Jordan for transplantation. He was monitored for 100 days following the procedure, as doctors wanted to ensure that the stem cells would take to his system. Today, Abdel is a healthy four-year-old, as the transplanted stem cells continue to aid in his treatment of the disease.
Since Abdel’s treatment in 2007, cord blood banking has becoming widely encouraged across Jordan. Currently, there is not a national cord blood bank in Jordan, but doctors in the country are considering the option to save costs for patients in need of transplants.