The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) held a successful week-long drive at Varsity College Durban North Campus, where students learned more about becoming a donor before signing up to help save lives.
According to Nadia Chalkley, head of donor recruitment for the SABMR, since allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to become bone marrow stem cell donors, their registry has seen a whopping 65% increase in youth sign ups.
She said: ”In just over a year since lowering the eligible donor age, more than 3000 South African youth have joined our registry. Most are between the ages of 16 and 35.”
She added that the bulk of youth registrations have come from donor drives held at schools and university campuses after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. “Students in the big metropoles, where most of our donor efforts were concentrated, have been so receptive to our message and it’s given us an opportunity to educate and debunk many of the myths that surround bone marrow stem cell donation. The donor drives have given us insights into the importance that today’s youth place on philanthropy. Many young people are eager to get involved in the world around them and want to be a driving force for change. They don’t want to wait till they’re older to make a difference, even if they’re not in a position to give financially, they want to give in other ways,” Chalkley said.
Eighteen-year-old Adil Dowlath said there’s no better way to show gratitude than to give back. He said: ”During the hard lockdown, in 2020, I came across an advert by the SABMR asking the public to join the registry and felt prompted to sign up. Being charitable raises the emotional well-being of not just the
receiver, but the giver as well.”
Chalkley describes South African youth as a growing and influential population that has the power to change societal perceptions, whether it be about climate change, corruption, addiction, or bone marrow stem cell donation.
“They have the energy and enthusiasm, and can offer fresh perspectives on relevant issues, which is why we are calling upon all the youth of the country to use the hashtag #SwabtoSave during Youth Month in an
effort to increase SABMR registrations among 16 to 35-year-olds. Share it in as many posts and across platforms as you can. Get your friends and family to join in too. Be part of the @sabonemreg community, like and share our posts. The more awareness that’s created, will help people to overcome the fear they have, address misconceptions and prompt them to become donors.”
Chalkley adds that there is only 1 in 100 000 chance of finding a bone marrow stem cell donor match for patients of European descent and that the odds drop even further for patients of other ethnicities due to the low donor numbers from these groups. Finding donor matches for patients of mixed ethnic race is even more challenging.
“At any given time, there are 200 patients awaiting a bone marrow stem cell transplant, and without a suitable donor match, the chance of survival is slim. The greater the donor pool, the greater the odds of a match,” she said.
SABMR’s goal is to sign up another 1000 donors by the end of June. If you are between the ages of 16 and 45 and want to become a donor, contact SABMR on 021 447 8638 or email: donors@sabmr.co.za.
