‘This is gonna make a difference’: Leeds model backs national stem cell donation campaign

A model from Leeds has taken part in a national campaign to encourage more young people to join the stem cell register.

Tilly Woodward, 26, stars in Do The Swab, a campaign by charity DKMS which aims to highlight just how easy it is to become a potential stem cell donor.

The adverts will be displayed at gyms, shopping centres, bus stops, and rail stations across London, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, and Birmingham, and showcase people completing a mouth swab which is a vital step to join the stem cell register.

Tilly hopes the Do The Swab campaign will boost sign ups for the stem cell register and help save lives.

Tilly said: “I was really grateful to be part of something that was so important and meaningful.

“I thought, this is gonna make a difference, which is really special.”

At the campaign shoot, Tilly felt so inspired she decided to sign up for the stem cell register on the spot.

Tilly said: “I was like, I can't just be the face of this. I’m so privileged to be healthy: I need to do this myself.

“So, I did it there and then. It was super, super easy and quick. It's just literally in your cheeks and in your mouth -- it's not a horrible throat thing like a COVID test.

“I'd definitely encourage people to do it because there's no negative impact in joining the register.”

The stem cell register is a global database of healthy volunteers willing to donate their stem cells which can provide a second chance at life for those who need a transplant.

Anyone aged 16-55 and in general good health can join the DKMS stem cell donor register by answering a few health questions and completing a free swab kit.

Blood cancer charity DKMS UK currently has over one million active registered donors as they work to ensure everyone who needs a stem cell transplant has equal access to one.

Because studies show that stem cell transplants from younger donors often result in better outcomes for patients, the Do The Swab campaign is targeted at young people so they can make an informed choice if they want to sign up to the register.

Deborah Hyde, spokesperson at DKMS said: “Everyone who signs up to the stem cell donor register is joining a chain of hope for people waiting to have a compatible transplant.

“If you are matched as a donor for someone, in nine out of ten cases donating is a simple, outpatient procedure – which is similar to donating blood platelets and can be completed in a few hours – and DKMS will support you every step of the way and make all the arrangements.”

To learn more about DKMS and sign up to become a potential stem cell donor, visit the DKMS website.