Television personality Kim Na-young donated hematopoietic stem cells after a 10-year wait.
On the 31st, a video titled "Kim Na-young's hematopoietic stem cell donation vlog (the lucky letter received after waiting for 10 years)" was uploaded to the 'Kim Na-young's nofilterTV channel.
On that day, Kim Na-young stated, "Today, a letter arrived at our house. I received contact from the hematopoietic stem cell bank. The moment I saw this envelope, I remembered that I had registered to donate hematopoietic stem cells by chance over a decade ago. They informed me that a patient whose genetics match mine has emerged, and that's why I received this contact."
She noted, "Unless they are related, the probability of a match between parents and children is less than 5%, 25% between siblings, and the probability of a match with a stranger is exceedingly low, at one in tens of thousands. But there appeared a patient in need of blood that matches mine. I was incredibly happy to think that I could do something. I thought I ought to film this and leave a video to encourage those who might receive such a lucky letter. I will also start managing my health so that I can donate good hematopoietic stem cells."
Later, Kim Na-young underwent the first blood draw. Kim Na-young said, "I have to match eight genetic markers, and six are already matched, so they will draw blood again to see if the remaining two match or not. The nurse said she would come close to our house, so I will attempt the first blood draw. I prayed that it would match and that my blood would be useful."
The coordinator mentioned, "The probability of matching is one in 20,000, but it varies based on the genetic characteristics. For some patients, only one match occurs, while for others, there are 100 matches. Our patient has fewer than 10 domestic matches, including you, Kim Na-young. In our country, there are fewer than 10 people with genetics like yours. It can be considered quite rare," adding, "Blood types might all change. It's just the same blood. One more person with the same blood created in this world. The recipient considers the day of transplantation as a new birthday." Upon hearing this, Kim Na-young was moved and shed tears. She expressed, "They said that person's blood type will also change to match mine, and that someone will now have the same blood as me, which was quite touching."
After receiving notice that donation was possible, Kim Na-young underwent a health check for the transplantation. She stated, "There are two organizations in the country that assist with hematopoietic stem cell donation. One of them is the Catholic hematopoietic stem cell bank, where my donation will take place. I heard they complete about 300 cases a year. I feel lucky to be one of those 300. It feels like I was chosen among them. That patient is currently undergoing some tough treatments. They will undergo a procedure where nearly all the bone marrow is extracted during radiation therapy. How hard must that be? I hope the patient does not suffer greatly and receives good results from the treatment. Please pray for them."
Having successfully passed the health check, Kim Na-young received hormone injections three times. Finally, on the day of her hospitalization, she said, "Today is the best day of the three days during which I received the hormone injections. I feel light and like I could fly. I packed my things for a two-night, three-day hospital stay, and there seems to be a lot to prepare for just two nights and three days." MaiQ accompanied Kim Na-young to the hospital, and after finishing their meal together, Kim Na-young said, "The assistant director bought me buckwheat noodles and told me to do well." MaiQ also encouraged her, saying, "Eat and regain your strength."
After receiving the last hormone injection post-hospitalization, Kim Na-young said, "It's the countdown to the donation. Tomorrow morning, I'll meet with the doctor, and they will insert a central venous catheter. They said they would start collecting from 10 a.m. and collect for about four hours. They think it will finish around 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. Let's go for it!" MaiQ cheered her on with a kiss on her cheek, and Kim Na-young proceeded as scheduled with the catheter insertion and collection. She expressed, "They said the collection would take about four hours. I hope it goes well on the first try." She was curious about the potential need for a second collection, to which the nurse explained, "It's needed based on the recipient's weight, so if the donor is very small or has a small frame, that may be the case."
After the collection, Kim Na-young stated, "I did a lot, but I managed it. If my blood ends up being needed by someone who really needs it, then it's definitely worth it. Since I made this decision and found out that I match well, I focused on eating healthy and exercising diligently. But now that I've done it, I feel a sense of accomplishment. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even if there is someone whose genetics match mine, the organization doesn't allow donation, so it is something that I can do only once in a lifetime. I'm extremely proud of it. I am filming this video in hopes that those curious about how the process goes after receiving a letter from the hematopoietic stem cell bank, like I did, will find it helpful. It's definitely a valuable action, and it's worth trying."
However, due to insufficient cell quantity after the transplant, a second collection was necessary, and Kim Na-young remarked, "They said it turned out to be much less than I had aimed for. They will collect again tomorrow. What if it's not successful again? I felt like it would probably go well on the first attempt but was disappointed that it didn't work out. But the coordinator reassured me that we did our best, and that's something no one knows. It's out of our hands, so she told me not to be too upset. I will do my best for the second collection tomorrow," expressing her dismay. In the end, Kim Na-young shed tears due to worry that the recipient might be disappointed.
The nurse, seeing this, said, "The concentration and other factors are better today than yesterday. It's usually better on the second day than on the first. To have such a sufficient amount collected on the first day itself is quite rare, and it's not often that we reach the second collection, so we truly appreciate it."
After the collection was completed, Kim Na-young was presented with a certificate of appreciation and returned home after her discharge. She shared, "I received a KakaoTalk message from the coordinator saying that there were more cells collected than yesterday, and that it looks likely to engraft well. I will check on the patient during the recovery test in two weeks and let you know how they are doing."
She expressed, "I feel so good. Through this donation, I realized how much I could support someone whose face and name I don't even know, and it made me very happy. I am grateful for this connection, and it feels so miraculous. Additionally, being able to inform many people about this matter feels like such a significant thing. I have received a lot of support from strangers during hard times, and perhaps I have lived until now thanks to that support. I shouldn't keep the encouragement, joy, and blessings all to myself. I share them with others. Don't be afraid. It's truly doable. Also, during my time at the hospital, I reflected on the people I met there who were very grateful. This summer has been filled with many thoughts. Stay healthy. I share the countless supports I received with everyone."
[Photo] Kim Na-young's nofilterTV
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