Holly Crabtree, Senior Consultant at NECS shares her experience of donating her stem cells and encourages others to register as blood stem cell donors, to help those who need a blood stem cell transplant and give them a second chance at life.
“Eight years ago, DKMS had a stall set up at a gig I attended. They were asking people to sign up to their stem cell register. DKMS is a charity dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders. They recruit blood stem cell donors, provide second chances at life for those in need of a transplant, and raise funds to cover donor registration costs. After a quick mouth swab and a short form to fill in, I was added to the register and didn’t think much more of it.
“Fast forward to April 2024 and I received an email to say I was a potential match! I had some initial nerves about what the stem cell donation would be like, but the staff at DKMS talked me through the whole process in detail and put my mind at ease. I had some initial blood tests at my GP practice, to determine if I was the best match for the patient, and once this was confirmed, I was booked in for a medical assessment to ensure I was healthy enough to donate. By July, my donation dates were confirmed, and I received G-CSF injections in the post to self-administer on the four days leading up to my donation. These injections encouraged my stem cells to leave my bone marrow and enter my blood, ready for my stem cell donation (saving the need to donate bone marrow). The injections gave me a headache for a few days, but the other side effects were minimal.
“The night before my donation I travelled to Sheffield and checked into my hotel which was provided by DKMS. The next morning, I arrived at the hospital for 8am, greeted by an NHS Blood and Transplant nurse who talked me through the process, offered me snacks and made me as comfortable as possible. For the next four hours I was hooked up to a machine that took my blood through one arm, removed my stem cells, and returned my blood through a cannula in the other arm. There was no pain during the donation, but it was slightly uncomfortable keeping my arm straight for four hours! I passed the time by watching a TV series and listening to an audiobook. Some donors are done and free to go home after those four hours, but others have to come back for a second day if more stem cells are needed for a full transplant, which was the case for me. I was very tired by this point, but I did get to stay a second night in the hotel, and have a nice meal also provided by DKMS. After my second donation, I headed straight home for a nap, and a couple of days later I felt back to my usual self.
“A few days after my donation, I had a call from DKMS to let me know the stem cell transplant had been completed. I will hopefully learn more about the person my donation went to in a few months, and if they are well after two years, we will have the opportunity to share contact details, which would be lovely.
“Over 2,000 people each year in the UK need a blood stem cell transplant, however, just 3% of the UK’s population are registered as potential donors and a tiny proportion of these potential donors are from minority ethnic communities. Registering is simple and can be done using this link to request a swab kit to register as a stem cell donor. The more people who register as blood stem cell donors, the better the chance for someone in need of a blood stem cell transplant.”