Bone marrow donor and recipient become friends after transplant There are friendships that begin in unlikely ways. Neylor Chagas and Tharsis Paiva lived in different cities, had completely different stories and might never have met if it hadn't been for a gesture capable of changing a life. In 2023, Neylor was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood. Given this, the routine began to be limited to hospitalizations, exams and treatments, and the bone marrow transplant represented the chance for a fresh start. ? Join the g1 Bauru and Marília channel on WhatsApp Hope came to life at the Amaral Carvalho Hospital, in Jaú (SP), a national reference in oncology and the largest bone marrow transplant in Brazil, serving around 80 thousand patients per year, more than 80% of which through the Unified Health System (SUS). It was there that the bone marrow donated by Tharsis was collected for Neylor's transplant. Tharsis and Neylor cultivate friendship after marrow donation carried out at Hospital Amaral Carvalho (HAC) in Jaú (SP) HAC/Disclosure The procedure was carried out on June 30, 2023, in Belo Horizonte (MG). Eleven days later, the long-awaited news came that the marrow had “taken”, a sign that Neylor's body was responding favorably to the procedure. "In the last hospitalization, it was more than 40 days. You see life happening outside, but it's at a standstill and with the transplant we get another chance. We start to value life more", he says. After the transplant, donor and recipient remained anonymous, as per the protocol. Contact between them could only occur after a year and a half, according to the rules of the National Registry of Voluntary Bone Marrow Donors (Redome), and depended on the wishes of both. MORE On the other side, the interest was the same. That's how the two met and the friendship that grew from that moment surprised everyone. Families became friends and traveled together after a bone marrow transplant at the Amaral Carvalho Hospital (HAC) in Jaú (SP) HAC/Reproduction Tharsis even stayed at Neylor's family home, where he shared stories, meals and moments that seemed to belong to long-time friends. Afterwards, the two traveled together to Ilhabela. "He is a different, kind person. Whoever does this has enormous generosity and values ??human beings", says Neylor about his friend. For Tharsis, the meeting was a gift that was not in the plans when he decided to register as a donor. “Meeting Neylor was a bonus, a genetic twin with whom I was able to participate in life. Seeing that his recovery was a success makes me very proud of his choice to want to be a donor from a young age. Thus, I gained a blood brother and I am very happy to be part of his life", he says. Tharsis met Neylo's mother after HAC transplant/Reproduction ? How to be a donor The story of Neylor and Tharsis repeats itself, in different versions, for the more than 2,600 people waiting in line for a bone marrow transplant in Brazil, according to a survey by the Brazilian Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation (SBTMO). The search for a donor begins, in generally, within the family itself. When there is no compatibility between relatives, Redome connects patients to registered volunteer donors across the country. Hospital de Jaú celebrates 21 years of the first bone marrow transplant To register, you must be between 18 and 35 years old and look for a blood center or blood center Tharsis, who has gone through the process, says that the fear is usually greater than the reality. so simple and capable of having such a huge impact on those who are sick and their families. Many say they are afraid of it being painful, but in my case, I can guarantee that it was nothing like that. It was a calm and painless procedure”, he concludes. Just like the hospital in Jaú (SP), the unit in Itu (SP) will be a reference in oncology treatment in the region Disclosure/Fundação Amaral Carvalho