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who are dkms

www.dkms.org.uk/en

DKMS launched in the UK in February 2013 with a key mission to register lifesaving blood stem cell donors. They believe that no one suffering with a blood cancer should die because they are unable to find a matching blood stem cell donor.

good to know

Blood cancer can be curable if a matching donor can be found.
Even though there are over 27 million people on the worldwide register, this isn’t enough. Many people in the UK still can't find a suitable matching donor.
It is rare to find matching donors, so you may never be called upon at all. There is a 4-5% chance of being someone's match in the next 10 years.
Your blood stem cells will completely replenish themselves within 2-3 weeks of the collection.
Your blood stem cells will never be stored, they last for around 72 hours and are delivered straight to the person in need by a special courier.
You will stay on the register until your 61st birthday!

Watch this short video to see what it means to be a potential blood stem cell donor. A two-minute cheek swab will put you on standby to save a life.

WHY DO I THINK DKMS IS IMPORTANT TO SIGN UP TO

When I was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer my Lymph Nodes were tested for cancerous cells too. It was an agonising wait to receive the results of the biopsy. Looking back, at the time I really didnt understand the massive impact it would have made on my prognosis.

As my journeys progressed Ive met some wonderful people and one of them is my little Hero, Oscar. Oscar was just 4 in May 2014 when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Oscar is the bravest little man Ive met so far and I want to support him and his family as much as I can.

By promoting DKMS, I hope that many more people will register to keep helping heros like Oscar.

Click here to find out more on Oscar

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