Record Surge in Bone Marrow Donors in Czechia Following Madlenka’s Story

A wave of new bone marrow donors has joined the Czech registry, moved by the story of two-year-old Madlenka.

Over the past ten days, more than 6,000 people have registered as bone marrow donors in Czechia—half the number usually recorded in an entire year.

In 2023, the total number of new donors was around 12,000, yet this unprecedented surge took place in just a few days, largely thanks to Madlenka’s father, who shared her story online.

Madlenka, a two-year-old girl, is battling aplastic anemia, a serious condition that affects bone marrow function.

Her search for a compatible donor has touched the hearts of thousands, prompting people across the country to sign up. Doctors and medical staff continue to process samples, including those sent from plasma centers and transfusion stations. The donor drive will run across Czechia until the end of April.

For those unable to donate due to age restrictions, there’s still a way to help. A fundraising campaign has been launched to cover the costs of donor registration and collection. As of Friday evening, donations had surpassed 850,000 CZK.

The surge in registrations has been visible across the country. In Brno alone, 580 people signed up yesterday.

Over the past weekend, long lines of volunteers formed outside Prague’s IKEM hospital, where on-site donor recruitment is ongoing until noon each weekday. Today, registration events are also taking place in Domažlice, Zlín, Brno, and Znojmo.