Fight against leukemia

Anyone can become a lifesaver!

Even a simple swab is enough: The more people who are typed, the greater the chance of saving lives.

(Bild: Geben für Leben/Udo Mittelberger)

Whether model, ice hockey star or Sabine from next door - anyone can become a lifesaver. The Vorarlberg association "Geben für Leben" has been finding stem cell donors for people with leukemia for 25 years - an often rocky road.

These are stories that touch the heart: Alexander is just one year old. Barely born, the little boy from Styria has already had to go through a lot. Two weeks after his birth, he undergoes open heart surgery. He has a fighter's heart in the truest sense of the word - and survives the operation. But as if he hadn't already suffered enough, the next low blow came shortly afterwards in the form of a devastating diagnosis: Alexander suffers from the rare blood disorder "Diamond Blackfan anemia". This also means that he will most likely soon need stem cells from a donor so that many more can follow the first year of his life.

Zita (3) from Vienna also urgently needs help. She has leukemia. Despite the strenuous treatment, she is an extremely cheerful child who likes to laugh often - which gives her parents hope that a stem cell donor will be found and that all will be well in the end.

Süleyman (43) is also fighting for his life and against time. He registered as a stem cell donor 20 years ago and now needs a "lifesaver" himself so that he can see his daughter and son graduate from school.

The early years were difficult
Herlinde Marosch knows countless of these stories. She laid the foundation stone for the "Give for Life" association 25 years ago. When her niece was diagnosed with blood cancer, she pulled out all the stops to find a stem cell donor. Among other things, she organized the first ever typing campaigns - more than 1,500 people in the region registered as a result. Overwhelmed by the response, Herlinde and her two fellow campaigners recognized the potential of such mobilization campaigns and founded "Geben für Leben" in 1999. Herlinde's niece's efforts were to be rewarded - thanks to the global networking of national stem cell databases, a donor was found in the UK.

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Since then, the association has been looking for stem cell donors worldwide for people suffering from leukemia. In 2011, Herlinde's daughter Susanne Marosch took over the helm: "It would have been a shame if my mother's life's work had simply dissolved."

Marosch set up her own donor center and rolled out the initiative throughout Austria: "Of course, there were times that were very challenging," she says. "I even received threats because certain people objected to what we were doing." But Marosch didn't let this get her down. However, she had to learn to deal with "defeats" - because fate was not always kind: "At least we can say that we tried everything earthly possible to avert the worst. And thank God it often turns out well!"

An unprecedented success story
Today, 16 full- and part-time employees work for "Geben für Leben", which is financed exclusively by the donor center. "100% of all donations go towards typing," emphasizes Marosch. "Last year, 204 typing campaigns were carried out across Austria, in which around 13,000 people were added to the donor database. In addition, 10,000 typing kits were ordered online, meaning that around 23,000 people found their way to a potential stem cell donation," she reports proudly. In purely statistical terms, every 330th person typed in the "Geben für Leben" donor database is a match. Last year, 98 people became potential lifesavers - 524 since the association was founded. 175,000 people are now registered in the donor database. "Our goal is to typify 25,000 people per year to further increase the chances of people with the disease."

In the previous year, 204 typing campaigns were carried out across Austria, in which 13,000 people were added to the donor database. In addition, 10,000 typing kits were ordered online, meaning that 23,000 people found their way to a potential stem cell donation.

Susanne Marosch, „Geben für Leben“

Bild: Matthias Weissengruber

Benefit concert with Monroes and Co.
Marosch can rely on a broad network of supporters. These include large companies, associations and other organizations, as well as many private individuals. Donations will also be eagerly collected next Thursday in the Harder Spannrahmen, where the three Ländle bands "Monroes", "Roadwork" and "Flashlight" will be performing for the good cause to kick off the anniversary year.

Donation account:

Give for Life - Leukemia Aid
Sparkasse Bludenz Bank AG
IBAN: AT39 2060 7001 0006 4898
BIC: SSBLAT21XXX

Incidentally, Marosch has a very special connection to Easter: "The feast of the resurrection is above all a great sign of hope - just like a stem cell donation. Both remind us that even in the darkest hours there is a spark of light to be found - as long as we are prepared to help each other and stand up for life."