Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma.

Lots of people register as organ and/or blood donors but blood stem cell donation is lesser known about, and given that only around 30% of people with blood cancer find a matching donor within their own family, it’s really important that the donor register has as many people on it as possible.

It’s so easy to join the register, you complete a quick eligibility check online and then you’re sent a (mouth) swab kit that you use at home and post back (freepost). Your swabs are then analysed to determine your tissue type and your anonymised details are added to the register. Your details will then be part of blood stem cell donor searches for people all over the world who need a genetic match to get a second chance at life.

You may never be a match for anyone, or it could happen next week – but if you register there is a chance that at some point, one day, you will be a match to save someone’s life.

You can read more about being a donor and join up here: https://www.dkms.org.uk/en