DKMS, the world’s largest network of bone marrow and blood stem cell donor centers, announced it has reached 10 million registered potential donors worldwide. Every 35 seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with blood cancer and only 30 percent of patients find suitable bone marrow and blood stem cell donors in their family. Today, we are honoring our donor community and sharing our mission to recruit #10MillionMore potential donors worldwide.
The need to continue to expand our donor network has only intensified as we enter a new normal and face the COVID-19 crisis. For donors who are currently scheduled for blood stem cell donations or for those still looking for a match, a level of uncertainty exists. Access to treatments has become limited and hospital resources scarce. Additionally, we know that racial health disparities are at an all time high, making the need for diverse donors crucial. For this reason, DKMS is leading an international approach to significantly increase the number of available potential donors annually, while working to diversify the donor pool to ensure all patients, regardless of their ethnic background, can find the lifesaver they need.
“Every day, we work together with families, communities, and organizations to recruit more donors and provide more second chances at life for patients suffering from blood cancers or blood disorders,” said Agata Maraszek-Dudek, Chief Operating Officer at DKMS. “With this team of 10 million strong potential lifesavers, we are even more fixed on our core mission of finding a lifesaving match for everyone. We are not stopping here.”
With 10 million available donors and nearly 85,000 transplants facilitated, DKMS is the largest network of donor centers in the world. With 40 percent of all unrelated blood stem cell transplants worldwide made possible by DKMS donors. Registration is simple and includes an eligibility and health screening, and swabbing each cheek for 30 seconds to collect cells for use in matching with a patient. For more information on DKMS and how you can register, please visit dkms.org.
About DKMS
DKMS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer. Founded in 1991 in Germany by Dr. Peter Harf, DKMS has expanded internationally by establishing entities in the US, Poland, the UK, Chile, together with BMST in India and in South Africa together with The Sunflower Fund partnered by DKMS. Together, they have registered more than 10 million potential blood stem cell donors and have given more than 84,000 patients across the globe a second chance at life by facilitating blood stem cell transplants.
