Mama, why is this happening to me?

Yannis belongs out in nature, not in hospital – but right now, he needs a stem cell transplant to survive.

Perched high up on a thick branch, a cool breeze on his face, lots of animals – big and small – to watch – this is the scene Yannis dreams of. But his reality is quite different: the eight-year-old is confined to a hospital bed currently suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia with the Philadelphia chromosome, an aggressive disease of the blood-forming system. After a year of operations and chemotherapy, he should have been back at school in May. But diseased cells were found in his blood again. Now Yannis has only one hope left: a stem cell transplant. But a suitable donor has not yet been found.

You can help: you could be the match for Yannis or others in need. Register now as a stem cell donor! Especially if you are a member of the Burundian and East African communities.

As Yannis’s father, Eric, is from Burundi and his mother, Diana, is from Germany, the chances of him finding a suitable donor are highest within the Burundian, East African, and German communities since the tissue characteristics relevant to stem cell donations are inherited.

But regardless of your ancestry, every single person registered increases Yannis’s chances of survival – and those of all other patients worldwide.

Yannis’s parents, Diana and Eric, and his sister Taya want nothing more than for their son and big brother to recover. Because Yannis still has so many dreams: to travel to Burundi with his family to get to know his dad’s homeland; to move out of the city and live in the countryside right by a lake; To turn his love of nature and animals into a career and become a falconer or a biologist. To do stunts and somersaults on his bike like Fabio Wibmer. To sing and dance loudly again to the music of DIKKA, Die Prinzen and Bummelkasten. But none of that is on his mind right now. Yannis’s only comfort at the moment comes from his favourite TV programmes he is watching from the hospital bed.

"For us, it means the life of a wonderful boy, a proud big brother, a dearly loved son. Please register so that Yannis can get well again!”

For you, registration takes only a cheek swab. If you are called to donate for Yannis or another patient in need, donation is still a simple process and the DKMS team will be with you every step of the way.

By registering, you’ll be giving hope to people like Yannis all over the world! Join us and register today