Why I donated stem cells
Josh is 29 and lives in Sydney. He joined the stem cell donor registry after hearing how easy it was. A simple sign up and he was on the list.
If you are aged 18 to 35, you can join online with three quick cheek swabs sent straight to your door. That is it. No cost, no needles, just three swabs and a few minutes of your time.
He could have pulled out. But he didn’t.
Just before his donation date, Josh was hit by a car. Around the same time, his bike was stolen. He could have said no.
He could have postponed.
But he showed up anyway.
He donated his stem cells and helped give someone else a second chance at life.
What a legend.
How do people donate their stem cells?
For most people it is just like a long plasma donation.
Josh donated using a process called peripheral blood stem cell collection. That is how around 90 percent of people donate.
For five days, Josh had a daily injection that helped stem cells move from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. On the fifth day, he went to the donation centre and sat in a recliner while a machine collected his stem cells. His blood went out one arm, the stem cells were filtered out, and the rest of the blood went straight back into his body through the other arm.
Does stem cell donation hurt?
Josh had some side effects from the daily injections used to prepare his body for donation. He felt sore and tired and needed to rest. But he still went ahead with the donation and says he is glad he did.
“With everything going on, I was just relieved it could still go ahead,” he said.
Most donors bounce back quickly, usually within a day or two as your body naturally replaces the donated stem cells. There is no need for medication or follow up. Your body constantly makes stem cells, so you won’t miss a few.
Can you meet the person who gets your stem cells?
Not straight away but maybe one day.
When someone donates stem cells to a stranger, there are rules in place to protect everyone’s privacy. In Australia, you need to wait at least two years before contact is allowed, and only if both the donor and the recipient agree.
Josh doesn’t know anything about the person who received his stem cells, only that they live overseas and urgently needed a transplant.
“I hope it helps them,” he said. “Even if I never find out who they are, I know I have done something that mattered.”
Want to be a legend like Josh?
You do not need to be a doctor or a superhero to save a life. You just need to show up.
Josh did. Even when life threw a few serious curveballs his way, he followed through. Someone, somewhere is alive today because of it.
If you are aged 18 to 35 and healthy, you can do the same. Signing up takes minutes. It is free, simple and could change someone’s life forever.
Be a legend. Join the stem cell donor registry
References
Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry – FAQs: https://www.abmdr.org.au/faqs/
Stem Cell Donors Australia – How it works: https://stemcelldonors.org.au/how-it-works/
Cancer Council Australia – Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplant: https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/treatments/stem-cell-and-bone-marrow-transplant
Leukaemia Foundation – FAQs about stem cell donation: https://www.leukaemia.org.au/how-you-can-help/join-the-stem-cell-donor-register/faqs/