DKMS is urging people in Birmingham to register as blood stem cell donors to help give a second chance at life for someone with blood cancer. The charity continues to feel the aftershocks of the pandemic which devastatingly impacted the number of people signing-up. Lifesaving registrations in Birmingham have fallen by 63% compared to 2020.

 

There is an urgent need for people to help meet the demand for donations and reverse the decline in registrations. Sadly, Birmingham follows a national trend, with just over a third (37%) of the number of people in the UK registering in the first 3 months of this year compared to last Spring.

A stem cell transplant can be the last hope of survival for patients and despite the hope of a return to normalcy, a big push is needed in 2022 to help give those with blood cancer the best chance. A blood stem cell donation from a genetically similar person can offer a second chance at life for those in need.

Only 1 in 4 people with blood cancer (and in need of a transplant) will find a matching blood stem cell donor within their own family, which means that those in need of a blood stem cell transplant on the kindness of a stranger.

Gurmail Sagoo (43) from Birmingham gave a stranger a second chance of life and is encouraging people Birmingham to register to do the same. Gurmail signed up with DKMS to be a donor in 2013. Six years later, coinciding with Blood Cancer Awareness Month, he travelled 5,000 miles to Vancouver, Canada, to meet the stranger whose life he saved.

“I joined the stem cell register with the hopes of saving someone’s life, but I never expected to actually be called upon! I was so delighted that I got the chance to make such a positive impact on someone else’s life. I was surprised at how simple and painless the donation process was. I was really nervous to meet Daljit, but also excited and very emotional. She’s like a sister to me now.”

Blood cancer patients from Black, Asian or minority ethnicity groups face lower survival odds due to the lack of donor diversity. These patients have just a 20% chance of finding the best possible stem cell donor match, compared to 69% for northern European backgrounds.

This is due in part to the low numbers of donors registered from those Black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds. Donors from minority ethnic backgrounds make up just 13.1% of the UK stem cell register and because Black, Asian or ethnic minority patients tend to have more varied tissue – meaning there is an even more specific biological requirement needed of a donor than for a white patient.

Reshna Radiven, Head of Communications and Engagement, DKMS UK, said: “This is deeply worrying. We have witnessed a huge decrease in registrations since the pandemic took hold. With only 1 in 4 people finding a match within their family, thousands of blood cancer patients rely on the kindness of a stranger.

“We urgently need more people to come forward and register, because the more people we have on the blood stem cell register, the more chance there is of our patients finding that perfect match. By signing up, you could be giving someone a second chance at life”.

Taking the first steps to register as a potential blood stem cell donor can be done within a few minutes from the comfort of your own home. If you are aged between 17-55 and in general good health you can sign up for a home swab kit online at dkms.org.uk

DKMS is holding an event on this Saturday 30 April at the Birmingham University Netball Club to sign up new donors. It’s taking place during the Birmingham Netball Summer League tournament, with 40 teams taking part from across the Midlands

Location: Shenley Academy, Shenley Lane, Birmingham, B29 4HE.

Time: Matches start 9.30am. Break at 11.30am and finals played at 3.10pm.