Join The Stem Cell Donor Register
A cheek swab posted back in an envelope, and years from now you might be the only match for a stranger with leukaemia.
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- Under 15 min
- People
- Solo / Duo, Small Group (3-6), Large Group (7+)
- Where
- Home
- Bring
- Nothing in particular
Why this matters
For many blood cancers, a stem cell transplant is the only curative option, and it requires a genetic match that most patients don't find within their family. Matching depends on tissue type, which correlates with ancestry - so registers that are unrepresentative leave some patients with drastically lower odds. Every additional donor measurably improves someone's chances.
How to do it
Register with a stem cell donor organisation - DKMS, Anthony Nolan and the national blood services all run registers, and most will post you a swab kit for free. You swab the inside of your cheek, post it back, and you're on the register.
That's the entire commitment unless you're matched, which may never happen.
If you are matched, the donation itself is usually far less dramatic than people expect. In the large majority of cases it's peripheral blood stem cell collection: injections for a few days beforehand, then a process similar to giving blood over several hours. The bone marrow version, done under general anaesthetic, is used in a minority of cases. Neither involves anything resembling the spinal procedure people imagine.
Things worth knowing: - Age limits apply, and younger donors are prioritised because outcomes are better - so registering in your twenties or thirties is genuinely more valuable. - Registers are significantly short of donors from minority ethnic backgrounds and mixed heritage, which means patients from those groups face much longer odds. If that's you, registering matters disproportionately. - Some medical conditions rule you out - the organisation will tell you.
Do it as a group. Order kits together, swab over dinner, post them together. It takes ten minutes and removes every excuse for putting it off.