I am now officially enrolled as a potential stem cell donor.

Every 27 seconds, someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with blood cancer. Every 5 minutes, someone in India is diagnosed with blood cancer, thalassemia, or aplastic anaemia. Stem cell transplantation gives such people a second chance at life.

Stem cell donation involves the collection of blood-forming cells from a healthy donor and transplanting them to a person who is suffering from blood cancer or certain blood disorders. Most of the donation happens through the apheresis method, similar to platelet donation.

Anyone in the age range of 18 to 55 is eligible to register as a stem cell donor. A few medical guidelines are: • Should be in generally good health. • Should be free of HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, certain autoimmune disorders, and severe diseases of the heart, brain, lungs, liver, and kidney. • Should not have suffered from cancer beyond stage 0. • Should not have diabetes requiring insulin.

Once you register, you will receive a swab kit. You need to swab inside your cheeks and send it back. Your tissue characteristics will be analysed, and then your tissue data is added to the global stem cell database WMDA (World Marrow Donor Association). If your tissue type matches anyone who is in need across the world, you will be contacted for donation.

For more details and registration, https://www.dkms-bmst.org/