Rachael's Story Rachael, a 39 year old nurse from Fife, Scotland is mum to one year old Daisy. Last year, Rachael was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer known as myelofibrosis, and was told she needed a stem cell transplant. A global search began to find a stranger who could give her another chance at life. Then, earlier this year, Rachael received lifechanging news. Not one, but two people were identified as compatible stem cell donor matches for her. These complete strangers, both based in America, said that they would be happy to donate their cells, and Rachael has just had her potentially life-saving transplant.
Did you know? • In most cases, donating stem cells for a transplant is a simple outpatient procedure, similar to giving blood platelets. • Y our blood group is not a factor in finding a stem cell donor match.
• W hen you join the stem cell register with DKMS, your swabs are only used for the purpose of testing to see if you are match – they are not shared with any third parties. • People from UK ethnic minority communities have lower
representation on the stem cell donor register, resulting in longer waits for patients with blood cancers or disorders from these backgrounds to find a suitable donor match.
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Jigsaw - Summer 2025
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