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‘YOU could save a life’ is the powerful message at the heart of DKMS, a charity dedicated to encouraging people to register as stem cell donors to help those battling blood cancer. Founded in Germany, DKMS operates in a similar way to the Anthony Nolan Trust in the UK.
That message was brought home at a recent meeting of Ladies’ Probus by guest speaker Lesley Calder, an Omagh native now living in the south of England.
Because of her own remarkable story, Lesley is now a volunteer leader with DKMS.
Only weeks after being fit and active, Lesley was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a life-changing moment that turned everything on its head. She was fortunate to receive a life-saving stem cell transplant from her sister and is now enjoying a period of remission. To mark that milestone, she went on to successfully climb Ben Nevis.
In her talk, Lesley highlighted the urgent need for more people to register as donors. She explained that while there are around 13 million people on the donor register worldwide, this represents just one per cent of the eligible population — those aged between 17 and 51 and in good health. Of those registered, only around one in 800 are ever called to donate, when a perfect match is found.
Members were deeply moved by Lesley’s story and encouraged to spread the message among friends and family who could help make a difference.
The club expressed its sincere thanks to Lesley for an inspiring and informative talk.