Lieutenant Colonel Park Ki-beom Who Donated Hematopoietic Stem Cells

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] An officer at the Joint Military Academy donated hematopoietic stem cells to help a blood cancer patient.

According to the Army on the 21st, Lieutenant Colonel Park Ki-beom (photo), who is completing the advanced joint course at the Joint Chiefs of Staff College of the Joint Military Academy, received good news from the Korea Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank Association last March. It was a notification that there was a blood cancer patient whose genes matched with Lieutenant Colonel Park, who had registered as a hematopoietic stem cell donation hopeful in 2018. Hematopoietic stem cells are stem cells that produce components that make up blood. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is only possible when the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type matches.

Lieutenant Colonel Park learned about the hematopoietic stem cell donation hopeful registration campaign while working at the Army Personnel Command and did not hesitate to register. Upon hearing that he could donate, Lieutenant Colonel Park visited a hospital in Daejeon to undergo necessary procedures such as health checkups and genetic testing. To prepare for the donation, he also managed his health by regularly participating in blood donations 139 times so far.

Lieutenant Colonel Park said, "As a soldier, fulfilling the role of saving the people is the duty of a soldier," adding, "I feel proud and happy that a small sacrifice can become new hope for a life."