MY CHARITY - DKMS
DKMS
I’m rowing solo across the Atlantic for DKMS, which runs the global Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Register. DKMS is dedicated to giving people with blood cancer a second chance at life.
DKMS is an international charity that fights blood cancers and other blood disorders by recruiting stem cell and bone marrow donors, funding transplants, and supporting patients worldwide.
I chose DKMS as the charity partner for my solo Atlantic row because I’ve seen firsthand how critical stem cell donors are. My friends’ daughter, Margot Martini, was just a baby when she was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. Her only hope was a matching donor. Meeting the Martinis changed me. No one should die because a match can’t be found. DKMS runs the global register that gives more patients a fighting chance. If my row inspires even one person to sign up and save a life, every single mile I row will be worth it.
Why Stem Cell Donors Are Needed - and How You Can Save a Life
DKMS is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting blood cancers and disorders by connecting patients with lifesaving stem cell donors. It operates the world’s largest stem cell and bone marrow register, helping match donors to those in urgent need of transplants. For many patients, a stem cell donation is their only chance of survival but finding a compatible match can be incredibly difficult.
Finding a stem cell donor match is tough because it requires a close genetic match based on HLA tissue types, which are inherited and vary widely across populations. Matches are most likely within the same ethnic group, but minority communities are underrepresented in the donor registries, making it harder for patients from those backgrounds to find a compatible donor.
Only about 30% of patients find a match within their family, leaving most reliant on unrelated donors. With time often critical, expanding the global register is essential: Every new donor increases the chance of saving a life.
BE A LIFESAVER
A donation of just £40, or the equivalent in euros or dollars, can help DKMS cover the cost of sending and processing a swab kit. That’s all it takes to register a potential lifesaver. Every kit could lead to a match, and every match could save a life. Small donations make a big impact, one swab at a time.
Here’s how you can make a difference:
Sponsor the journey: Help me cover the costs of this epic challenge and get me to the start line.
Donate to DKMS: Your contribution helps fund lifesaving work. Remember: It costs just £40 / 45 euros to pay for a swab test kit to be sent to a potential donor and processed to get that person on the Stem Cell register!
Join the stem cell register: It takes just minutes to request a swab kit. Imagine, you could be the match that saves someone’s life.