‘You could be someone’s only hope’: A stem cell donor campaigning to beat blood cancer

DKMS

A stem cell donor is urging people to sign-up after registration numbers drop by more than 50 per cent from this time last year.

Lockdown was the last thing on Sam Schmidt’s mind when he got the call to say that they had found a match and he was going to be the donor.

He had been expecting that call since his registration last year.

While most of us would have had second thoughts about going through with the process in the middle of a pandemic, the brave 24-year-old took the risk.

Sam Schmidt at the London clinic where he underwent the procedure
DKMS

Accompanied by his parents, Sam went to the London Clinic this week to undergo the live-saving procedure to donate his stem cells to an anonymous patient with blood cancer.

“You could be someone’s only hope. That really hit home for me especially when I got the call.

"I thought that ‘I’m definitely going to do this now’ because If I don’t, I’m essentially sentencing someone to a far less chance of survival. If you are someone’s match then that’s an actual individual relying on you.”

He registered with the charity DKMS - known as We Delete Blood Cancer - after meeting Peter McCleave, a 42-year-old father of two who was diagnosed with the condition shortly after running an Ironman Triathlon.

“He’s one of those people that you meet and you’re like, how on earth is someone as fit and healthy has him got blood cancer?

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"It doesn’t discriminate is what you learn from him,” Sam says.

Peter is still waiting to find a match but through his tireless campaigning and public speaking he has encouraged thousands to register.

COVID-19 has had a terrible impact on the number of stem cell donor registrations, says DKMS. Sign-ups are down by a staggering 56 per cent from 60,206 on the same date in 2019 to 25,973 last month.

In a new #BeALifesaver campaign, the charity is urging people to sign up from their sofas.

“We are hugely concerned about the impact the pandemic is having on those who rely on a blood stem cell donor”, says Jonathan Pearce, Chief Executive Officer at DKMS UK.

“We still need many many more potential blood stem cell donors to come forward, and we know from our clinicians that once the world is free of COVID-19, there will be even more transplants needed.”

The sign-up process is simple - you can sign up for a swab pack online, which will be delivered to your door in the daily post.

It can then be returned with the enclosed pre-paid envelope and dropped into any letterbox without breaking any of the rules on staying at home, self-isolating, social distancing or avoiding gatherings.

Since his donation, Sam has got back to working from home and says he would some day like to meet the person whose life he helped save.

“In two years when I’m allowed to find out, I would love to meet them and see that it’s worked.”

“People need to remember that just because Covid-19 is happening, it doesn’t stop other diseases and other people needing help. And it’s all the more important that we come together and fight those other things as best as we can.”

If you’re 17 – 55 and in general good health you can register as a blood stem cell donor via the DKMS website at dkms.org.uk.

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