About
Blood stem cell transplants save lives!
These transplants can treat people of all ages who are dealing with more than 80 diseases and disorders.
Facts you need to know:
- Most transplants use matched unrelated donors
- Thousands of registered donors are needed to find a match
- Easy to register: Attend a Swab In event or online at blood.ca/rotary
- Ideal donors: 17- 35 years old, brief medical questionnaire required
- 2SLGBTQIA+ members are welcome, sexual orientation isn't considered
- Ethnicity matters for matching, so diverse representation is crucial
- Global registries are linked to increase match chances
- Finding a 10/10 match is rare, about 1 in 100,000 but less than perfect matches can work
- Most donations are from peripheral blood, similar to a regular blood donation
- More donors = better chances for patients waiting for a life saving match
