Register as stem cell donor London Chinatown 24 April - Save a life, then go get dim sum!

[madamceladon]

Dear London mumsnetters

I am a MN user working on a campaign to increase stem cell donor registration and cord blood donation, especially by BAME communities, to try to save my friend's life.

If you are in London we are running a donor registration event in Chinatown on Sunday 24 April.
//www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/swabforyvette-stem-cell-donor-drive-in-chinatown-tickets-311882387617

If you are pregnant and able to donate cord blood (its only offered at Luton and Dunstable Hospital, St George’s Hospital and University College London Hospital), or if you are under 40 (pregnant or not) please consider registering as a stem cell donor.

My friend Yvette Chin is dying of a rare blood cancer and her only hope for survival is to find a match for stem cell therapy.
Yvette is mixed race Chinese and Jamaican.
White UK patients have a 70% chance of finding a genetic match through the registries, and BAME patients about 25% - it is even harder for mixed race patients.
We are campaigning on this as an equalities issue.
More info is on our campaign website:
//www.swabforyvette.com/

She's been in the media - listen to minute 39 to hear her interviewed here on BBC London.
//www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0btn6kb

metro.co.uk/2022/03/29/woman-with-cancer-cant-find-stem-cell-donor-because-shes-mixed-race-16359183/

Info on cord blood donation:
//www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cord-blood-bank/

You can sign up as a donor (not cord blood) by a postal registration through DKMS - it is just a cheek swab, easier than an LFT.
//www.dkms.org.uk/get-involved/virtual-drives/yvette

Please share this campaign in your networks, if you have experience of donating cord blood or of bone marrow donation I'd love to hear it.

If MNHQ are interested in supporting our campaign please contact me.

[thinkofablinkingnamewoman]

Just commenting to keep this on the first page. I'm too old for this drive, sadly.

I can though confirm just how easy it is to sign up with DKMS - I did it a couple of years ago and it's really simple compared to LFTs. No sneezing or coughing!

And who can resist dim sum?

[madamceladon]

tthanks @thinkofablinkingnamewoman!!

Im a bit too old too 41, and not a prime candidate but we have got a few 100 people signed up already. spread far and wide!

[seperatedmum]

So sorry I'm 41, and I'm half Jamaican too, wishing Yvette a donor and I'll share this on my family WhatsApp. I'm on the DKMS register tho

[madamceladon]

@seperatedmum take a look at Anthony Nolan as I think they possibly do take donors over forty, it's dkms that cut off at 40 I think

[seperatedmum]

[quote madamceladon]@seperatedmum take a look at Anthony Nolan as I think they possibly do take donors over forty, it's dkms that cut off at 40 I think[/quote]
Ok then, thanks 👍🏽

[SquirmOfEels]

Bump - you could literally save someone's life

[SquirmOfEels]

And another bump, as its almost the day

[SquirmOfEels]

Really pleased to have just seen a segment on this on the BBC London news

It looks like the event was a success