Twins Become China's Youngest Stem Cell Donors to Save Their Mother

In a rare medical miracle, four-and-a-half-year-old Hunan province identical twin sisters have become China's youngest hematopoietic stem cell donors. Their altruistic donation was a last-ditch effort to save their 38-year-old mother, Ms. Li, who was fighting acute myeloid leukemia.

Urgent search for a compatible donor

Diagnosed three months prior in Changde, Ms. Li had a bleak prognosis. The National Marrow Registry found no good matches, and her older parents were medically unsuitable to donate. Making things even more complicated, cord blood transplant was not an option because of antibody issues. That left the young twins as the sole good donors, even though each was under 20 kilograms, well below the conventional threshold for pediatric donors.

Twin Donation Process

The usual child donors need to weigh at least one-third of the weight of the recipient. In order to address this issue, the health professionals in the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha came up with a compatible procedure for obtaining twin donors by leveraging the twins' genetic similarity. One of the participating hematologists, Associate Professor Li Ying, clarified that the new procedure was formulated to fit the weight range of the children.

The intensive donation procedure

The process, conducted on March 26, was done in multiple sophisticated steps:

1. Phase of preparation: The twins went through twice-daily injections of subcutaneous stem cell-stimulating substances and daily blood withdrawals over the course of more than five days. Despite a needle phobia, the sisters were extremely courageous, usually gripping photographs of their pet rabbits and family for solace.

2. Anesthesia and vascular access: Placing vascular access in these very young donors involves serious technical issues. The Department of Anesthesia's Associate Professor Yin Xinlin did it under anesthesia.

3. Collection of stem cells: Both sisters had the procedure done within four hours, together. Throughout the procedure, they were all pliable, their flawless handcraft winning them hearts among medical professionals.

Successful transplantation and recovery

Harvested stem cells were directly transplanted into Ms. Li. Post-procedure updates show that the two donors are recovering with stable vital signs. Associate Professor Li Ying assured members of the public by stating,

A witness to medical excellence and familial ties

The Department of Hematology at The Third Xiangya Hospital has over two decades of experience in transplanting, having harvested almost 2,000 stem cells. This case has established a new standard for the youngest donors in its practice. Professor Li Xin, director of the Department of Hematology, highlighted that this lifesaving endeavor is an example of both the courage to break technical limits and the miracles brought by family love. She credited the achievement to patient trust and interdisciplinary collaboration, vowing to push hematological treatment forward in order to save more families.

"This life-saving battle demonstrates both medical courage to push technical boundaries and the miracle created by familial love," said Professor Li Xin.

The twins' stem cells poured into their mother's veins, and in addition to offering her hope for her life, they also bore powerful witness to the great potential of medical innovation and to humanity's kindness.

Reference:

1. China Daily. 2025. "Identical Twins Donate Cells to Keep Mother Alive." China Daily, April 9, 2025. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202504/09/WS67f5c5eea3104d9fd381e3b4.html.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)