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Young Donor Shares Simple Stem Cell Process
20 Oct
Summary
- A 24-year-old from North London found stem cell donation easy.
- NHS registry has highest number of donors in three decades.
- More diverse donors are urgently needed, especially from minorities.
Alfred Mureithi, a 24-year-old from Islington, north London, shared his experience as a stem cell donor, highlighting the process as remarkably simple. His registration occurred last year, and he was surprised by how quickly he was matched with a recipient.
His donation process involved injections with minor side effects, followed by a few hours connected to an apheresis machine, which separates stem cells from blood. Mureithi described it as akin to a blood donation but with needles in both arms, stating he felt better immediately after donating.
The NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry has reached its highest number of registered donors in thirty years, with over 29,000 individuals signed up. However, Guy Parkes from NHS Blood and Transplant stressed the ongoing need to increase the registry's diversity.
NHS Blood and Transplant is actively seeking more donors, particularly from ethnic minority groups. This is crucial to improve the chances of patients with blood cancers, disorders, and immune deficiencies finding compatible stem cell transplants.
