Scotland is below the UK average in lifesaving stem cell donor registrations

As the UK marks World Blood Cancer Day on 28 May, DKMS is calling on people across Scotland to take action, and help to give people with blood cancer a second chance at life by joining the stem cell donor register.

Every 14 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer. For many patients, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor is their best or only chance of survival – but only a very small proportion of the UK population are currently registered as potential donors.

DKMS spokesperson Deborah Hyde says, “When a patient needs a stem cell transplant, only one in three will find a donor in their immediate family. This means that two thirds of patients will need to find a stranger who is a compatible stem cell match, and who can offer them a second chance at life. Joining the register means that you could offer that lifeline for someone in their time of greatest need. Most people will never be called to donate, but if you are, you have the potential to save someone’s life”.

Rachael is also a qualified nurse

One such patient is Rachael Nixon, a 39 year old nurse and single mum from Fife, Scotland. Last year, she began to experience loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, extreme fatigue, and dizziness. She initially put it down to juggling life as a new mum, but after visiting her doctor, she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer known as myelofibrosis.

Rachael is a mum to a one year old named Daisy, and she says, "My greatest fear when I was first diagnosed was that I wouldn’t be around to raise my daughter. It kept me awake at night, she’s so young, if I died, would she even remember me?”.

Unfortunately, no one in Rachael’s family was a match, and so a global search began to find a stranger who could give her another chance at life. People across the UK who heard her story began signing up to the stem cell donor register through DKMS.

Rachael says, “Since being diagnosed I’ve been so overwhelmed with the amount of people whose first response is, “Can I be tested for you?”, which is just the kindest gesture. I feel so thankful that I have so many people out there who want to do what they can to help save my life.”

Rachael Nixon - who is having her stem cell transplant on World Blood Cancer Day - with daughter Daisy

Then, earlier this year, Rachael received lifechanging news. Not one, but two people had been identified as her stem cell donor match. These complete strangers, both based in America, have said that they would be happy to donate their cells. Now, in an extraordinary turn of events, Rachael has been scheduled for her potentially life-saving transplant on World Blood Cancer Day itself – 28 May.

Rachael continues, “It took a few days for the news to sink in, but when I found out I had a match – in fact two matches – it felt like a miracle. Because those people joined the register, I’m getting another chance at a life with my daughter, and on World Blood Cancer Day! I would encourage everyone to join the register, it’s so easy, but for people like me, it can change everything”.

Rachael is marking World Blood Cancer Day with DKMS by encouraging everyone aged 17–55 and in good general health to order a free swab kit via their website (dkms.org.uk), complete a simple cheek swab, and return it to be added to the register.

Things you didn’t know about blood cancer:

• Blood cancers are the third most common cause of cancer death in the UK.
• Every year, nearly 13,000 people die from blood cancer in the UK.
• At any one time there are around 2,000 people in the UK in need of a stem cell transplant.
• Of those registered, only 16 % are from UK minority ethnic backgrounds. This makes it more difficult for patients from these backgrounds to find a match.

Signing up to the stem cell donor register is a quick and easy process involving some painless mouth swabs: if you are aged 17-55 and in general good health, you're eligible to join the register with DKMS. If you are then matched with someone needing a transplant, in nine out of ten cases donating is a simple, outpatient process similar to donating blood platelets.

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