Australia is in a deep crisis with a lack of registered stem cell donors. Combined, this situation presents a significant hurdle for the patients who are dying and waiting for life-saving transplants. We know that younger Australians hold the key. We’ve found young Australians to be the most powerful solution to this urgent issue. The country has as few as 65,000 registered donors. Sadly, this number does not come close to supplying the demand for more than 2,000 annual stem cell transplants.
Bill Stavreski explains that when it comes to making a successful match, widening the donor base is crucial. At the moment, the majority of registered donors in Australia are people of Western European descent. This lack of diversity can make it hard for patients of different backgrounds, including First Nations Australians, to find matches that work for them.
Stavreski emphasizes that many patients with urgent conditions such as leukaemia or lymphoma depend on these transplants as their only treatment option. With around 1,000 Australians waiting for a suitable donor match, the urgency of increasing local donor registration cannot be overstated.
According to the foundation’s research, the majority of Australian patients’ unrelated donors are from overseas. This over-reliance on international registries creates unnecessary instability. This challenge is only exacerbated by myths and misunderstandings about the stem cell donation process. Stavreski explains that old misconceptions regarding the procedure as a whole keep interested donors from coming forward.
“In the past, the stem cells were taken from the hip bone. That’s no longer the case; there isn’t the pain that comes along with it.” – Bill Stavreski
Stavreski reassures her that the updated procedure is a lot less invasive and lasts just 30 to 60 minutes. On each donation, we collect blood from just one arm. A machine then separates out the stem cells, and we return the rest of the blood through the other arm.
“You don’t need any other needles or any anaesthetic.” – Bill Stavreski
The youth appeal part of the call to action specifically aims at Australians 18 to 35. Stavreski goes on to explain that this demographic contains the healthiest, most robust stem cells.
“Young Australians are really the key part here in terms of stem cells.” – Bill Stavreski
Despite these positive steps, Australia still does not have strong stem cell donation campaigns in schools, hospitals and workplaces like those that exist in other countries. This gap in knowledge leads to the lack of registration we see.
Stavreski is encouraging all Australians aged between 18 and 35 to become stem cell donors. He wants to see a more diverse donor base that actually looks like the country we live in.
“What is important, and to really reflect what the population is in Australia, is that we need donors from all ancestries.” – Bill Stavreski
