To ask for your help...

[Maracattack]

For my friend Ruby...

Ruby is a young mother of two children (Daniel, the oldest, is still just 2 and Sofia is 1 in February) and works as a social worker for adults. I've always been impressed by how much she is willing to give to others and how much she cares.

These are Ruby's own words (from her post on Facebook www.facebook.com/Rubiola79/posts/10154872132871753):

" THIS IS FOR ALL MY FRIENDS HERE IN THE UK 🇬🇧 THAT WOULD LIKE TO HELP ME OR OTHERS LIKE ME. PLEASE SHARE. HAVING SPOKEN TO MY CONSULTANT THIS MORNING IT LOOKS LIKE FINDING A MATCH REALLY IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE SO PLEASE REGISTER AS A DONOR, SPECIALLY IF YOU ARE SALVADORAN/ LATIN AMERICAN/ MALE/MIXED OR ANY OTHER ETHNIC GROUP OTHER THAN WHITE EUROPEAN.

I'm mother of two young children currently in the process of trying to find a bone marrow transplant donor to cure my lymphoblastic leukaemia-lymphoma. However, as a Salvadoran/ Latin American woman I am not in a good position to find a matching donor here in the UK or in the international registry.

I'm humbly asking if anyone is or knows someone of Salvadoran or Latin American origin here in the UK to please register with the bone marrow registry below as soon as possible. I would also like to take the opportunity to encourage those of mixed or none white northern European ancestry to also join, as donations are very low internationally for all of us not belonging to this group. Males are also particularly needed.

Please share this post. I'm hoping that if it doesn't help me it may at least help another person in a similar situation. Only three months ago I really never thought I would ever be in this situation.

Thank you!"

Here are the links to donate....

UK

www.dkms.org.uk/en/register-now

www.anthonynolan.org/8-ways-you-could-save-life/donate-your-stem-cells

Or via blood donation.

AUSTRALIA

www.abmdr.org.au/how-to-join-2/

www.donateblood.com.au/

USA

www.dkms.org/en/register

bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-bone-marrow/join-the-marrow-registry/

I realise there are a lot of requests like this about but registering is such a simple process... just fill in the details online and send off a swab - even if you're a match then the donation is quite simple... and you could potentially help so much. Obvious, for Ruby, we're looking for someone with a particular background but I really think everyone who can should register to potentially do something so wonderful.

Thank you so much for reading,

E.

[Maracattack]

Please see the video (and link to registration site( that another friend has put together...


www.dkms.org.uk/en/register-now

[Maracattack]

Shameless bumping!

I wonder if any Mumsnetters have seen the digital posters up and down the country? They're fantastic!

[ArmySal]

Another bump.

I haven't seen the posters, will look out for them.

[MipMipMip]

Bump

[Maracattack]

We're still looking. I wanted to promote this video a friend of Ruby's made:

//www.registerforruby.com

[Maracattack]

We now have a petition (which I'll also post on a separate thread) around making cord blood donation an option for all new mothers. You can see it at www.change.org/p/jeremy-hunt-secretary-of-state-offer-every-mother-the-opportunity-to-save-a-life-through-cord-blood-donation

[ifyoulikepinacolada]

I'm a donor already (and sadly not the right ethnicity at all) but wanted to offer some support and a bump! x

[Maracattack]

18,740 people have signed the petition now! It's amazing... I'm hoping they are also registering to donate as adults. I see more and more people out there looking for donations - it's a scared thing and only 2% of the population are on the Register. I bet more than 2% would accept the donation if they needed it (though obviously there are people with very valid reasons not to sign up)!