How to become a potential blood stem cell donor with DKMS

National World

For someone diagnosed with blood cancer, a blood stem cell donation from a matching donor could be their last chance of survival. Register as a potential blood stem cell donor to go on standby to save a life.  https://www.dkms.org.uk

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00:00If I told you you could save the life of someone with blood cancer, would you believe me?

00:07All it takes is a cheek swab and a few minutes of your time to register as a potential blood

00:12stem cell donor.

00:14Every 20 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia, lymphoma

00:20or myeloma.

00:21A blood stem cell donation from a matching donor could potentially save their lives.

00:27We all have a tissue type that could match someone else's, but with thousands of different

00:32tissue combinations, finding a matching donor isn't easy.

00:36All it takes to register is a quick swab of the inside of your cheeks.

00:40You can register online for a swab kit and complete your cheek sample at home.

00:45That's it!

00:46You're now on the road to becoming a potential blood stem cell donor.

00:50The odds are, you may never be called upon, but if you are, that's when you have the

00:55opportunity to give someone else a second chance of life.

00:59This is done in one of two ways.

01:01In peripheral blood stem cell collection, blood stem cells are collected from the donor

01:06by removing blood from one arm and running it through a machine to separate out the blood

01:11stem cells.

01:12The blood is then returned to the donor through the other arm.

01:15Around 90% of donations are carried out using this method.

01:19This is a non-surgical outpatient procedure and takes around 4 to 6 hours.

01:24In bone marrow collection, the blood stem cells are collected from the bone marrow from

01:28the back of the hip bone using a special syringe.

01:31This procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic.

01:34The collection itself takes 1 to 2 hours and most donors return to their regular activities

01:39within a week.

01:40This method is only used in around 10% of cases.

01:44Our vision is to provide every blood cancer patient around the globe with a matching donor.

01:50Do your bit today and take the first step to becoming a potential blood stem cell donor

01:55by registering to receive your swab kit.

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