Give the gift of life

As some of you may know I have been a regular blood donor for the last three to four years. Not only does doing this save lives, but in a weird way it helps save me. There genuingly is no better feeling than giving.  I started to think what else could I do. Im a perfectly healthy 24 year old, I don't smoke, I drink alcohol rarely, so what was stopping me from doing all I could to give, support and do my part for others who need it? Nothing. Thats when I looked into bone marrow donation. I think people immediately think and assume that bone marrow donation is this painful, long, hard process, its not.

I donated extra blood at my last blood donation in order to join the bone marrow register there, but I also stumbled across ANTHONY NOLAN. After reading, researching, hearing wonderful things I straight away applied, received my pack quickly, sent back a spit sample and here I am a few weeks later, on their register as a possible match to save someones life. Now let me tell you more, and more importantly let me tell you why you reading this... is needed.. is vital and is important, because you can save someones life, multiple lives, you are a hero in waiting.

WHO?

Calling all 16-30 year olds.

Blood cancer. The only cure? You.

Your blood stem cells. If you are 16-30. 

Ofcourse people over 30 can make excellent donors too, and thats why people stay on the register until they are 60. Younger donors are more likely to have fewer complications and it can save time and money when it comes to matching donors. It costs £100 to add a donor to the register so if you cannot donate how about donating money? You can help in so many ways. Fundraising, spreading awareness.

If someone from an ethnic minority needs a transplant to cure their blood cancer, their only chance of finding a matching donor will be from someone of the same ethnicity. For Asian patients, this is just 6% of Britain. And it’s not just Asian patients. It can be difficult to find a matching donor for other people from an ethnic minority in the UK, like African-Caribbean or Jewish patients.

That's why we need more diverse donors

Right now, white Europeans have a 90% CHANCE of finding a matching donor, while ethnic minorities have just 40% chance.

With a more diverse register of donors, we can help to address this imbalance and work to ensure that nobody dies waiting for lifesaving stem cells, no matter who they are.

HOW?

Like I mentioned, there is this myth that donating is a terrible and painful experience with needles, risky and dangerous operations and permanent loss of our own bone marrow. All of this really is just a myth and it's preventing you and others in signing up.  Donating is a painless process much like giving blood and 9 in 10 now donate their stem cells and not their bone marrow. If you are one of the 10% who gives bone marrow you’ll be under general anaesthetic so there won’t be any pain during the procedure. Afterwards, you’ll probably feel a bit tired and bruised, and you might have to take a few days off work. But you would have saved a life, which in my opinion is well worth a few days out of action. 

With the donation of stem cells its done by the process called peripheral blood stem cell collection. An easy simple process. A nurse will come either to your home or your workplace and give you injections of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) over a course of 4 days this will increase the number of stem cells that you produce, then on the forth day you will go to your collection centre or blood centre for your injection and the PBSC donation will start the next day - which is where a nurse or doctor takes some blood. THAT IS IT.

With bone marrow donation it is a case of spending two nights in a london hospital under general anaesthetic, they will take bone marrow from your pelvis using a needle and syringe with the same side affects after of tiredness and flu like symptoms.

I wouldn't even question giving either way!

So now you know who and how... BUT WHY?

WHY?

Blood Cancer.

What is this? - Blood cancer is a term for cancers that affect the blood, the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. EVERY 20 minutes in the UK someone is told they have blood cancer. 70 people a day. 25,000 a year. 

Leukaemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma - Three main groups.

Leukamia is the 11th most common cancer in the UK.

Non-Hodgkin is the sixth most common.

I'm certain that in the society we live in today with social networks - we all know of someone who has suffered. 

We all need good and healthy bone marrow and blood cells to live. Those with conditions, diseases and cancers will have their bone marrow and blood affected, a stem cell transplant could be their best option, their only option.

Seeing as our red and white blood cells don't live very long we depend on our stem cells to make fresh new blood cells.  Our red cells carry oxygen around our body. Our white blood cells help fight infection.

YOU can donate yours now... because

for so many out there right now this is their cure, their only cure.

Be the hero - Join the register now at Anthony Nolan Register

and I'm going to be cheeky here but if you are not already please become a blood donor, its quick, easy and saves lives every single time you donate - Find out all about it here Donate Blood

These are honestly the best gifts you can ever give, to those receiving you are giving them life, and for you, you will feel wonderful (I promise) 

Thankyou so much for reading and helping in raising awareness for these great causes.

Love always 

Jade xox