Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re aged 18 to 35, generally healthy, and live in Australia, you can probably join. You’ll need a green or blue Medicare card and you need to be willing to donate to anyone, anywhere in the world, if you’re matched. 

There are a few high level medical reasons some people can’t join. This includes things like having certain blood conditions, some autoimmune diseases, having had cancer, having had an organ or bone marrow transplant, or living with some serious heart conditions or infections. If any of that applies to you, it’s not a judgement. It’s just about safety.

The age limit isn’t personal. And the health rules aren’t about being strict. They’re about protecting you and the patient.

Yes. Who you love or how you identify has nothing to do with your stem cells. That’s the science.

There used to be restrictions because the only way to join the registry was through donating blood with Lifeblood. Blood donation still has government rules attached to it. But joining the stem cell registry now happens through cheek swabs. And those blood donation restrictions don’t apply here.

What matters now is your health and your willingness to help, not your sexuality or gender identity.

An inclusive registry is a stronger registry. It’s that simple.

Younger stem cells give patients better outcomes. That’s the science. Doctors choose younger donors because it lowers the risk of complications and improves survival and the quality of life for the patient. 

If you’re 36 or over, there’s other ways you can help, you just have a different job now. We’d love you to help us find the next generation of donors. Find someone to sign up in your place. Share the message. Help us raise more funds to support donor recruitment and fund more nursing scholarships.

Younger donors save lives. Older supporters make the whole thing possible. Both matter to us.

You sign up online in just a few minutes. A cheek swab kit gets mailed to your place. You swab the inside of your cheeks. You send it back. It’s that easy.

Please send it back. A surprising number of kits end up on kitchen benches or in bins. That helps exactly nobody.

No. It’s free to join. It doesn’t cost you anything to sign up or to donate if you’re ever matched. You also don’t get paid for donating stem cells, but you won’t be out of pocket. Travel, accommodation, and medical costs are covered.

The only thing it costs you is a bit of time and a bit of courage. Which still feels like a fair trade.

No. Most people will never be called. Matching is rare.

But if you are matched, it means you’re likely the only person in the world who can help that patient. Their family will be waiting. Their doctors will be waiting. And you’re the reason things move forward. No pressure.

If you’re donating through the blood, you’ll need a short course of G-CSF injections before donation day. Without them, most of your stem cells stay tucked away in your bone marrow.

The injections tell your bone marrow to go into overdrive and produce loads more stem cells which are released into your bloodstream.  From here they can be collected safely and easily. It’s the reason most people donate through the blood instead of needing surgery.

You get four injections in the days leading up to donation. We haven’t met anyone who loves needles. That’s normal. But they’re tiny, over in seconds, and if they help someone stay alive, that feels like a decent use of a few little jabs.

Because the injections make your bone marrow work harder than usual, some people notice joint aches, especially in the lower back, hips, and legs. Headaches and feeling a bit flat for a few days can also happen.

For most people, a few paracetamol sorts it out. Once the injections stop, the side effects stop. Your body goes straight back to its normal rhythm.

When you line that up against what the patient has already been through to get to this point, the balance feels pretty clear.

Not at all, you’ve got options. A nurse can give you the injections if you prefer. But if it’s easier, you can also do them yourself at home, just like people with diabetes do every day.

The needles are tiny. It’s over in seconds. The team walks you through the whole thing so you know exactly what you’re doing. Most people are nervous about the first one and then immediately surprised by how uneventful it is.

Millions of people do this daily. You’ll be fine. But there’s always a nurse available too.

It’s like a long plasma donation. Blood comes out of one arm, the stem cells are filtered out, and the rest of your blood goes straight back into the other arm.

You’re not sitting there with giant needles stuck into you. They’re called cannulas, small flexible plastic tubes, so you can move your arms and get comfortable. You sit there, scroll, watch something, listen to a podcast, or quietly overthink your life choices.

Some people feel a bit cold or get tingles in their lips and fingers during the donation. That’s expected and happens because of how the machine works. The team knows exactly how to manage it.

It’s calm, organised, and surprisingly low drama for the incredible thing you’re doing.

Now, this is a medical procedure. You’re completely knocked out, so you won’t feel a thing during the donation itself. It’s quicker than donating through the blood. It takes about 45 minutes and you don’t need the daily G-CSF injections like you do when donating through the blood.

Afterwards people are usually a bit sore at the extraction site, right at the top of your bum cheeks. You might still feel a bit dopey for the rest of the day while your body processes the general anaesthetic. Some people have a bit of bruising and the area can feel tender for a few days. It’s all expected and very manageable.

For what you’re doing for the patient, it’s absolutely worth it.

No. Your body’s making new stem cells all the time. We’re talking millions! Donating some doesn’t empty the tank. Your bone marrow just keeps doing what it already does every day without you needing to think about it.

You won’t run out. Your body’s got plenty.

When donating through the blood, most people are back at work the next day. The joint aches from the G-CSF settle once the injections stop. Some people feel a bit tired for a day or two but that’s about as dramatic as it gets.

After donating bone marrow, recovery takes a little longer. You’ll likely feel sore at the extraction site for a few days and a bit flat while the anaesthetic wears off. Most people are back to normal within about a week. Bruising can hang around for a bit but it fades.

Either way, it’s a short recovery for you and a life changing moment for the person on the other side of the transplant. That’s the trade. And honestly, that’s pretty legendary.

If you’re donating through the blood, you’ll usually only need the donation day itself off. Most people are back at work or uni the next day like nothing major happened, which is slightly wild given what you just did.

If you’re donating bone marrow, you’ll need a few days off to rest and recover from the general anaesthetic. This is not the moment to book a marathon or go wild at the gym the next day. Take it easy. Your body’s earned a breather.

Either way, it’s a small pause in your routine for you and the biggest possible moment in someone else’s life. That still feels like a fair exchange, you legend.

More than 1.5 million people worldwide have already donated stem cells, so you wouldn’t exactly be going off grid here.

Donating stem cells is considered very safe. Thousands of healthy people donate every year and most side effects are short term and manageable. You’re screened carefully before anything happens and you’re monitored the whole way through. If it’s not safe for you, it won’t go ahead.

That said, safe doesn’t mean nothing ever happens. There can be aches, fatigue, bruising and a few uncomfortable days depending on how you donate. Most people get through it with rest and some paracetamol.

The important part is this. The medical teams do this every day. Your safety matters just as much as the patient’s. And nobody’s taking shortcuts with either of you.

This is the method most people use, and for most donors the risks are mild and short term. The most common things people notice are joint aches from the G-CSF injections, feeling a bit tired, and some bruising where the cannula goes in. Some people also feel cold or get tingles during the donation.

There’s a small risk of light headedness, fainting around needles, or minor issues at the cannula site like swelling or bruising. These usually settle quickly and you’re watched closely the whole time.

We should also say this out loud. We’ve never met a single person who loves needles. That would be unusual. But they’re necessary, and a few little pricks to save someone’s life is a very small price to pay to end up in the legends hall of life saving fame.

Serious complications are very rare. You’re screened carefully before you ever get to donation day, and if anything doesn’t look right, it simply doesn’t go ahead.

And just quietly, the fact that you’re even weighing all this up for a stranger says a lot about you already.

G-CSF is what tells your bone marrow to go into overdrive and make extra stem cells, so your body does notice it’s working. The most common side effects are joint aches, lower back soreness, feeling a bit flat, and the occasional headache. Some people also feel a bit puffy or bloated for a few days.

We’ll say this again because it matters. We’ve never met a single person who loves needles. That’s normal. But these ones are tiny, over in seconds, and a few little pricks for a life saving outcome is still an excellent trade.

Once the injections stop, the side effects stop. Serious reactions are very rare. You’re checked carefully before you ever start and monitored the whole way through.

And when you step back and look at what the patient’s been through to get to this point, your few days of mild inconvenience suddenly feels very small. But your impact is epic!

This is far less common than donating through the blood, and it’s done under a general anaesthetic, so it does come with a different set of risks. Most of them are short term and manageable.

The most common things people notice are soreness at the extraction site, some bruising, and feeling a bit groggy for the rest of the day because of the anaesthetic.

There’s a small risk of things like infection, bleeding at the extraction site, or reactions to the anaesthetic. These are uncommon, and you’re monitored closely before, during, and after the procedure. If anything looks off, it doesn’t go ahead.

Recovery usually takes a few days. It’s not nothing, but it’s very doable.

And when you line that up against what the patient’s facing without a donor, the balance becomes pretty clear. A few uncomfortable days for you can be the moment everything changes for them. That’s a big deal.

The honest answer is yes, things can go wrong. That’s true of any medical procedure, even the simple ones. But serious problems during stem cell donation are incredibly rare.

For blood donation, the most likely issues are things like feeling faint, bruising, or a reaction to the needles or the machine. These are usually minor and handled straight away. You’re watched closely the entire time, and if anything feels off, the team steps in immediately.

For bone marrow donation, there are small risks linked to the anaesthetic and the procedure itself, like bleeding, infection, or a reaction to the anaesthetic. These are uncommon, and you’re surrounded by specialists whose literal job is to manage this exact thing.

And this part matters. The medical team already thinks you’re a legend for being there, so they are going to look after you incredibly well. Nothing here is rushed. You’re screened carefully, monitored constantly, and supported at every step.

And despite all of that seriousness, the overwhelming majority of donors get through the process without anything dramatic happening at all.

More than 1.5 million people worldwide have already donated stem cells, and decades of follow up data show no increase in cancer, blood disorders, or other serious long term health problems linked to donation. That includes people who donated for a family member and people who donated for a complete stranger. It all counts. It’s still donating stem cells.

Donors are followed up for years after donation not because it’s risky, but because registries are thorough and donor safety is taken seriously. If anything concerning ever showed up in the data, this entire process would stop immediately.

Your body keeps making new stem cells whether you donate or not. Donating stem cells doesn’t switch that off or wear it out. It just borrows a few at a very important moment.

So yes, the science is clear. And the outcome is even clearer. You walk away knowing you gave someone a real shot at staying alive. That stays with you a lot longer than any side effect ever could.