This year we reached an incredible milestone. Events, donations, grants and steady support from so many people have helped us raise $1,000,000. It reflects years of determination from people who want to create a real difference for patients, families and the nurses who care for them every day.
How TLR came to be
TLR didn’t start with big plans. It started with one man, Trace Lee Richey. He had a blood cancer diagnosis and needed a stem cell transplant. He needed a donor. Finding a match can be incredibly difficult, so the medical team were hopeful when one appeared. Devastatingly, the transplant didn’t work. Trace spent his final moments with his loved ones and the nurses who never stopped caring for him.
If a better match had been out there, things could’ve been very different.
Trace during treatment, supported by the nurses who inspired TLR’s mission.
After we lost Trace, the people who loved him wanted his life to help others. We wanted young Aussies to understand donating stem cells. People needed to know how many patients rely on finding a match, and how simple the donation process is. We also wanted to honour the nurses who cared for Trace by helping more of them specialise in cancer care. That promise became the spark that started TLR.
The spark that brought people together
The first goal for TLR appeared at a time when we were still trying to make sense of losing Trace. St Vincent’s announced plans to renovate the Blood and Marrow ward to create a state of the art stem cell transplant facility. To have a room named in Trace’s honour, we needed to raise $300,000. Our first goal was set.
Trace spent his career as a fundraiser, so the idea of a small volunteer group trying to raise so much wasn’t lost on any of us.
The first fundraiser was a head shave. After that came the City2Surf. Then a sky dive. Then many more City2Surfs. Each event pulled more people in. Friends, colleagues, nurses, volunteers and strangers stepped forward because they believed in what Trace stood for.
In the end, we reached the goal in just over two years. It was a huge moment. It also made something clear. A treatment room matters, but the nurses who work in it matter just as much.
Supporting specialist cancer care
Mary, TLR’s first scholarship recipient.
Once the room was funded, we focused on nurses. Trace’s nurses had shown real skill and compassion through every stage of his treatment. Encouraging nurses to become specialists in cancer care felt like the right way to honour them.
We wanted a scholarship that would create lasting impact. The Master of Cancer and Haematology Nursing at the University of Sydney was the natural choice. It gives nurses advanced knowledge and strengthens the care they can provide during treatment.
With strong support, the Trace Richey Nursing Scholarship became perpetual in 2022. This shifted TLR from a single project into a charity with two aims. Support nurses. And help more people understand stem cell donation.
Reaching new stem cell donors
At the same time, many patients were still struggling to find matching stem cell donors. Trace had faced that challenge. Families across Australia were living it too. We joined Stem Cell Donors Australia as an official charity partner and started talking with people wherever we could.
Signing up starts with a few simple cheek swabs
Even then, many had never heard of donating stem cells. Most didn’t know joining the stem cell donor registry only takes a few cheek swabs. Once people understood how simple it was, many were ready to sign up. At the same time, hospitals welcomed us. Nurses helped share the message. Universities invited us to speak with students. People from many backgrounds wanted to help someone who might need them one day.
With support from the Kinghorn Cancer Centre, we interviewed people who were donating stem cells. Their honesty helped calm fears, dispel myths and encourage others to join with confidence.
You can learn more about how to become a stem cell donor on the TLR website.
More support, more impact
Our second perpetual nursing scholarship was created in honour of Allan Frenkel. Allan was diagnosed with Leukaemia when he was 17 and had a stem cell transplant at 18. He passed away at such a young age, and his parents Marisa and Eduardo, along with their family, have spent the last 25 years raising money in his name with incredible love and dedication.
Their commitment meant the world to us, and we were honoured to partner with them to create a second scholarship that carries Allan’s name forward. Together, we reached the 190000 dollar target in just over two years, doubling the number of nurses we can support.
We’ve also been lucky to have support from grant partners who believed in our mission. The QBE Foundation and the AMP Foundation helped strengthen our education work. Nomos Legal, our amazing corporate supporter, have stood with us for many years and have been there at every single event, even the skydive.
Looking ahead to 2026
Helping more young Australians understand stem cell donation will stay at the centre of our work. Raising awareness will stay a priority so more patients have the chance to find a life saving donor. Supporting nurses will remain just as important.
The first million was built through belief and generosity. The next million will be built the same way. One act of kindness at a time. One donor at a time. One nurse at a time. Always with one purpose. Give hope to people facing blood cancers.
To our fundraisers, our donors, our corporate supporters and grant partners, our event volunteers, our ambassadors and our board of volunteers, thank you. Your support makes every part of this work possible.
