SA Bone Marrow Registry to name a star after donor in stellar campaign
The awareness campaign, which will see a star named after a lucky donor once the target is reached, aims to bolster donor numbers significantly.
In the last three decades, the SA Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) has travelled almost six times to the moon and back to collect blood stem cells from all four corners of the globe for South African patients in need of a transplant.
These precious stem cells help rebuild a patient’s immune system – working as a cure for numerous blood cancers.
In the lead-up to World Marrow Donor Day celebrated on September 17, the SABMR is launching an out-of-this-world campaign, which will see an actual star named after a donor once the registry reaches its target of 100 000 donor registrations.
Jane Ward, deputy director of the SABMR said they consider each one of their almost 80 000 existing donors as stars.
“Much like stars that are born in the same cluster share similar chemical signatures, which help scientists track the stars they are related to, so our donor searches help us to find genetic twins among humans that share matching DNA, no matter where in the world they are,” she said.
“And just like a star falls to grant someone’s wish, people – whether it’s family, friends or strangers – make sacrifices to make that wish come true. We are asking people to be a star in someone’s night sky by signing up to become blood stem cell donors.
“We are intimately connected with the universe – even our bodies are said to have been made of many of the same elements that stars are made of – which is why we thought it apt to name a star after a donor once we hit the 100 000 mark. The figure is significant as it symbolises the odds of finding a match. Currently, the chances of finding a tissue match are around 1 in 100 000.”
To date, the SABMR has saved the lives of more than 600 South African patients. However, only 25% of these donors have come from South Africa.
Ward said when no local matches are found, they have to look abroad, which takes time and can become costly.
“Our patients don’t have the luxury of time. They suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as leukaemia, lymphoma, aplastic anaemia and immune deficiency disorders that can claim their lives within weeks or months,” she said.
“Less than half of blood stem cell transplants in the country are from donors in South Africa, while the vast majority have come from donors in Germany and America. Stem cell donations have also come from 25 other countries. If we had a larger local donor pool, patients could be helped sooner, thereby increasing their chances of survival.”
She said each donor added to the registry, increases the probability of a patient finding a match.
“In an ideal world, there should be a local donor waiting and ready to go when a patient needs a transplant as is the case in many other countries,” said Ward.
In South Africa, only 1% of the population are registered stem cell donors, compared to 13% in Cyprus, 12% in Israel and 9% in Germany.
“This September, we want to make the world shine a bit brighter for those afflicted with blood disorders. To become eligible for the star-naming, you can sign up to become a donor online or at any of our drives. Who knows, you may become our one in 100 000 Stem Cell Star,” said Ward.
To boost donor numbers this month, the SABMR will be hosting various events across the country.
These include physical donor drives, fun runs, celebrity-judged bake-offs and more.
For more information on these events and how you can get involved, visit https://sabmr.co.za/world-marrow-donor-day-wmdd/ or follow them on @sabonemreg.
If you are between the ages of 16 and 45 and want to become a potential donor, contact the SABMR on 021 447 8638 or email donors@sabmr.co.za
Financial donations can also be made via www.sabmr.co.za/donate
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