1. Who is eligible to become a donor?

Any healthy person with age between 17-55 can be registered as a donor with Delete blood cancer registry.

2. Any particular disease stops me donating stem cells?

. You will be asked to donate only if you are fit to donate and there is no serious risk for you and patient after donation. Doctors at donation center will do detailed assessment to make sure that you are fit. People with following usually not recommended for stem cell donation.

3. How do I do my swab test?

When you attend our donor registration drive, after completing the registration form, our volunteer give you a kit contains two swabs. You should gently rub with one swab on inside of each cheek for 30 seconds, and held them to dry for a few minutes till it dry, usually 1-2 minutes. No one should touch the swab except you. You should place them in the swab envelope provided and give to our volunteers. We will then send them to lab. They will determine your HLA type. You have to keep copy of the registration form with unique number. You will receive a donor registration card within few weeks confirming your registration. If any delay in getting the donor registration, please call this number quoting your registration number.

4. What is the chance of me become match for some one after my registration?

It is hard to tell but it is very rare to find a match as there are thousands types of HLAs. For a donor there are only 4-5% chances that they will match a patient within the next ten years. You may some time need to wait many years to find a match, some time you may not find at all. The chances of finding match among same ethnic groups are more. It means for a patient with Asian background, chance of getting matched donor is more from Asian community.

5. Will I get updated information about donation of stem cell when I get the match?

Yes, you will get updated information at the time of donation. Based on the information you can always change your mind

6. Why more South Asians should register as potential blood stem cell donors?

Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) or Blood Stem Cell Transplantation is a life saving treatment for several diseases. The most important requirement for a successful Bone Marrow Transplantation is to get a matched bone marrow or blood stem cell donor. In general, it is difficult to get a matched donor. However, it is proved that it is easy to get the best match for any patient from the same ethnic community. It is surprising to know that only less than 4 % of the potential donors listed on the UK bone marrow donor register are from South Asian communities. Many South Asians with devastating diseases are facing death, when many from same ethnic group can help them, as bone marrow or blood stem cell donation is a simple procedure without a surgery. Lack of awareness and misunderstanding about bone marrow donation are the causes for less number of South Asians in bone marrow donor registry. So please read and understand about it and get registered, you may be able to save another life.