Yorkshire & Humber is behind in lifesaving stem cell donor registrations – charity urges action on World Blood Cancer Day

Things you didn’t know about blood cancer:
Blood cancers are the third most common cause of cancer death 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 matchThis World Blood Cancer Day (28 May), blood cancer charity DKMS UK urges people to complete quick and easy mouth swabs to join the stem cell donor register

Stem cell donation is simple, but a crucial lifeline for people with blood cancer – but just 2.6% of 16-55’s in Yorkshire & the Humber are on the DKMS donor register.
This is behind the UK average of 3.1%

New data released by blood cancer charity DKMS UK reveals that just 2.6% of 16-55’s in the Yorkshire and the Humber are registered as potential stem cell donors with DKMS – behind the UK average of 3.1%

As the UK marks World Blood Cancer Day on 28 May, DKMS is calling on people across Yorkshire and the Humber to take action, and help to give people with blood cancer or serious blood disorders hope of a second chance at life by joining the stem cell donor register – which takes just a few minutes.

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.

One such patient, was Iona Baldwin who lives in Beverley, in East Yorkshire. Iona was just 26 and working as a teacher when she was diagnosed with acute amyloid leukaemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.

Iona says: “I just visited the GP after losing my voice, but I was sent to hospital in a blue light ambulance, and immediately admitted to undergo treatment.”

Doctors quickly said that she would need a stem cell transplant in order to recover, but with no matching donor for Iona immediately available, a global search began for a stranger who could save her life. Around the same time, John, a 25 year old tradesman from Wales had just joined the stem cell register after hearing about a child in his community who needed a donor. Out of the blue, John received a call to say that he was Iona’s match, and he agreed to come forward and donate. That was six years ago.

“I don’t like to think where I would be without him. Thanks to John joining the register, I’m healthy, and I’m living a really full life,” says Iona. “Every milestone that I hit, he’s been at the forefront of our minds -- this man that I had never met gave me all this time with the people I love.”

When she was undergoing her treatment, Iona was required to sign forms stating that she understood she would likely be made infertile. This was difficult for her and her husband Jack, who really wanted children. However, following her remission, in 2022 Iona gave birth to her daughter, Bella, and in 2024 had her son Charlie.

There is strict anonymity for patients and donors for two years post-transplant, but eventually, Iona and John were able to be in full contact. Last year, five years after her transplant, Iona and John finally met each other for the first time.

“It was unbelievable to finally have him in front of me, and I’m so grateful to have been able to do it. Just to be able to finally say a proper thank you, and to put a face to the name that means so much to me and my family.”

DKMS spokesperson Bronagh Hughes says, “For World Blood Cancer Day, hope starts in Yorkshire and The Humber – we’re calling on people across the region to get on the stem cell donor register. When a patient needs a stem cell transplant, most will not find a donor in their immediate family. Patients like Iona will rely on finding a stranger who is a compatible stem cell match, and who can offer them a second chance at life, like John was able to do. 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, with support from DKMS at every step”.

Iona is marking World Blood Cancer Day with DKMS UK by encouraging people to order a free swab kit via the DKMS website (dkms.org.uk), complete simple mouth swabs, and return them to be added to the register.

Signing up to the stem cell donor register is a quick and easy process involving some painless mouth swabs: if you are aged 16-55 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, with support from DKMS throughout.