Key Factors
- Greater than 140,000 persons are residing with blood most cancers or a associated blood dysfunction in Australia in the present day.
- Australia’s stem cell registry says there’s an pressing want for native donors, particularly from various backgrounds.
- The Leukaemia Basis says some persons are ready over a yr to discover a appropriate donor.
When Sophie Patnicroft Grey sat down to write down to the one that saved her life, she discovered herself misplaced for phrases.
It had been 5 years since she had been given the “reward of life” by the stranger.
She questioned how one can thank this mysterious individual for registering as a stem cell donor and following by with the donation.
Sophie Patnicroft Grey had plans to journey round Australia when she was recognized with acute myeloid leukaemia after a routine blood take a look at picked it up Credit score: Provided
“I’ve thought of you so usually by all this time,” Sophie started writing in her letter earlier this yr.
“Questioning what led you to do such a selfless act that not solely saved my life, that has given me nearly 5 extra years and hopefully extra.”
How an Australian journey become a struggle for Sophie’s life
At 29 years outdated, Sophie had packed up her life in the UK to start out her “incredible Australian journey” — travelling across the nation and educating yoga in 2019.
Her plans have been placed on maintain when she was recognized with acute myeloid leukaemia after a routine blood take a look at.
She was given a 50 per cent probability of survival — and chemotherapy alone could not save her. Her “final resort” was a stem cell transplant.
Sophie Patnicroft Grey underwent gruelling rounds of therapy for her acute myeloid leukaemia. She says she was fortunate to discover a native stem cell match. Credit score: Provided
“It actually felt just like the rug was taken out from beneath you,” Sophie advised SBS Information.
Sophie finally discovered somebody on the Australian stem cell registry who was fortunately a match.
Subsequent month, she’s going to mark 5 years since she acquired the donation — 5 years, she says, “that was was not promised, that was not a given”.
Numerous Australians ‘struggling’ attributable to lack of donors
Greater than 140,000 persons are residing with blood most cancers or a associated blood dysfunction in Australia in the present day. Nearly 20,000 extra can be recognized this yr, in line with the Leukaemia Basis.
One of many largest points dealing with Australia’s solely stem cell registry is an pressing want for extra native donors, particularly these from various backgrounds to enhance the probabilities of sufferers discovering a life-saving match.
There are presently 1,000 individuals on the waitlist.
The Leukaemia Basis says some persons are ready over a yr to discover a appropriate donor — treasured time for these present process therapy.
And whereas 80 per cent of stem cell transplants come from abroad, some can’t afford to attend.
Tim Murphy, basic supervisor of blood most cancers partnerships on the Leukaemia Basis, stated the Australian inhabitants was not absolutely represented within the information registry.
“That is notably difficult for First Nations Australians. If you cannot discover the match right here, it is extremely unlikely that you just [can] discover them wherever else,” he advised SBS Information.
“As a result of we’ve such a beautiful various neighborhood, we wish to have the ability to have that range represented and mirrored within the donor registry.”
Sophie says she had an “unfair benefit” as a result of there was an sufficient variety of donors who matched her heritage.
“There are individuals on the market which might be struggling simply due to this lack of donors,” she says of sufferers of various backgrounds.
“That is simply not truthful.”
What does a stem cell donation contain?
Murphy describes stem cell donation as “essentially the most beneficiant neighborhood act of affection that a person can do”.
And, he says, it is a quite simple, two-step course of.
First, persons are requested to go to the donor registry web site to register their particulars. They may then be despatched a swab.
The potential donor is requested to swab their cheek and return it to Energy to Give. They may then be positioned as an eligible donor.
If somebody requires a donation and matches a donor’s profile, the possible donor is requested to present a blood donation. Stem cells are extracted, and bloods pump again into their physique.
“It is seen as a extremely cumbersome, difficult, tough process, and actually, it is actually easy,” Murphy says.
“Giving to somebody in your loved ones or your neighborhood your stem cells is essentially the most beneficiant reward of affection, as a result of it is a reward of life.”
