The match means that Holly could potentially be saving an individual's lives by donating her stem cells and curing their illness. Holly has been documenting her entire experience whilst donating her stem cells and has kindly allowed us to share her selfless act of kindness.
It started with a testing kit from DKMS, which is an international donor centre. Three years later, Holly receives a call to let her know she has been matched with somebody in the world who requires a stem cell transplant. The first steps included testing many tests to ensure Holly would be the best potential match for the anonymous patient. Once the patient's medical team had confirmed her stem cells were an ideal match, Holly was contacted by her DKMS donor coordinator toe formally request her to be a donor.
Holly then had to attend a medical assessment where her medical history was noted and further blood tests were taken to ensure she was fit, healthy and suitable to donate. She was quickly given the all clear, and given potential dates for her donation by her DKMS coordinator. The coordinator is in-charge of every aspect of the donation to ensure it runs smoothly for all involved, including arranging dates, booking hotel stays and travel arrangements if required.
The day finally came - Holly headed to the Hospital for 8AM, where she was greeted by the nursing team, who put her at ease and carefully explained the process so she knew what to expect throughout the day. Holly explained, '
It is a similar process to giving blood but unlike donating blood, your blood is returned to you once the stem cells are removed and takes 4-5 hours to complete'. Once the donation was completed, Holly returned to her hotel where she received a call asking her to return for a second day.
Holly added,
'The second day was very similar to the first and it was nice to arrive there knowing what to expect; including the never-ending supply of biscuits!'. With the second day completed, Holly was advised to rest and felt cold-like symptoms, such as fatigue and soreness.
Holly has been told she will now be matched with this individual for the next two years and may be approached again to donate more stem cells. Holly has said '
I would do it in a heartbeat. I have been very grateful to West Way for supporting me throughout the process by accommodating all the appointments and the time off for the donation.'
We are all extremely proud of Holly and her selfless act of Stem Cell Donation. Holly would also like to encourage others to sign up for the donor register which can be done
here.