The event was attended by Patrick Paul, Executive Chairman of DKMS in India, Dr. Minerva Mary, Head of Marketing and Communications for DKMS Asia, donors Navya Dhatri Vadde, Naveen Kolli, and Satish Reddy, Dr. S K Gupta, Head of the Hematology and BMT Department at Continental Hospitals, Hyderabad and Dr. Glen Sheldon Vaz, Senior Consultant Hematopathologist at Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad. 

In a rare act of generosity, 32-year-old software engineer Satish Reddy donated his blood stem cells twice through DKMS BMST Foundation India, giving two blood cancer patients a second chance at life.

He was honored at a special event in Hyderabad, where DKMS India also hosted a fireside chat to raise awareness about the urgent need for stem cell donors in India.

Satish registered as a donor in 2016. In 2021, he was matched with a patient and made his first donation. In 2023, he met his recipient, a powerful reminder of the impact of donation. Remarkably, he was matched again in 2024 and donated for a second time in January 2025.

‘Donating stem cells is a small act that creates a big impact,’ said Satish. ‘Meeting the recipient made it all worthwhile.’ 

The event featured Dr. S K Gupta, Clinical Hematologist at Continental Hospitals, and Patrick Paul, Executive Chairman of DKMS India. Dr. Gupta highlighted India’s growing blood cancer burden, with over 100,000 cases diagnosed annually and more than 70,000 deaths. ‘Early detection, treatment, and stem cell donations are key to saving lives,’ he stressed.

Patrick Paul shared that only 0.09% of eligible Indians are registered as stem cell donors. With over 10,000 children born with thalassemia each year, he urged more people to register.