YOU & ME · A Movement of Oneness
Become a Donor
One swab. One match. One stranger given another lifetime. Joining a bone marrow / stem cell registry is one of the most quietly powerful gifts a human being can offer another.
Why it matters
A match no one else in the world may carry
Every year, thousands of people with leukaemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders need a stem cell transplant from a donor. For many, a relative is not a match, so their only hope is a voluntary unrelated donor found somewhere on the planet.
Matching depends on tissue type (HLA), which is inherited — so your closest match is often someone who shares your ancestry. That’s why registries especially need donors from every ethnic background: the more diverse the pool, the more patients find their one-in-a-million match.
Registration is free, voluntary, and reversible — you can change your mind at any point, and most people who join will never be called. But if you are, you could be someone’s only chance.
The journey
I. How you become a donor
The path is gentle and well-supported. Here is what it looks like from first interest to actually helping someone.
Check you’re eligible
Generally you should be a healthy adult (most registries recruit from age 18, some from 16) and within their age window, in good general health, and meeting basic weight/medical criteria. Each registry lists its exact rules.
Register & give a sample
You complete a short health questionnaire and provide a simple cheek swab (or small blood sample). Many registries post a home swab kit you return by mail. Your HLA tissue type is then added to the registry.
You wait — quietly on the list
You stay on the register and may be searchable worldwide. It could be months, years, or never. If your tissue type matches a patient, the registry contacts you and runs further confirmatory checks.
If matched, you donate
After full information and consent, you donate in one of two ways (below). Travel, accommodation and reasonable costs are typically arranged and covered. Your donation is voluntary and unpaid.
Two ways to give
II. How a donation is collected
It is the patient’s medical team that decides which method is needed. Donors are usually asked to be open to both.
Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC)
The most common method. For a few days beforehand you receive injections that move stem cells into your bloodstream. Then, in a process similar to giving blood, a machine filters the stem cells from one arm and returns the rest to the other. It usually takes a few hours and no surgery.
Bone marrow donation
Stem cells are collected from the back of the hip bone while you are under general anaesthetic, so you feel no pain during it. It typically involves a short hospital stay, with some aching and tiredness afterwards that eases with rest.
Where to register
III. Join the registry near you
These are the official, accredited registries. Choose the one for where you live — and if your country isn’t listed, the global directory will point you to it.
Όραμα Ελπίδας
Hellenic Bone Marrow Donor Registry — “Vision of Hope”
The Greek foundation operating the national volunteer bone marrow / stem cell donor registry. You can complete the volunteer donor application online and learn how to join the register in Greece.
Anthony Nolan
UK stem cell register & charity
The UK’s pioneering stem cell register. You can apply online, and they recruit donors aged 16–30 (you can be called to donate until age 61). They post you a free swab kit to complete and return.
Karaiskakio Foundation
Cyprus Bone Marrow Donor Registry
A non-profit operating one of the world’s most successful donor registries per head of population, serving leukaemia and cancer patients across both communities in Cyprus, plus a public cord-blood bank.
WMDA
World Marrow Donor Association
The global body connecting donor registries and cord-blood banks across the world, listing tens of millions of donors. Use their “find your registry” directory to locate the official registry in your own country.
A note on accuracy: eligibility ages, weight limits and the exact registration steps differ between countries and are updated periodically. Always follow the specific instructions on the official registry website above, which is the authoritative source for your situation. YOU & ME shares this information to raise awareness; it is not medical advice.
Be the bridge
Awaken. Unite. Give life.
If even one person reading this becomes someone’s match, this page has done its work. Register today — and share it with someone who might say yes.
Questions? Reach the YOU & ME team:
asimina@youandmemovement.com
YOU & ME
Helping each other, we become happier.
This page is for general awareness only and does not constitute medical advice. Bone marrow / stem cell donor eligibility and procedures are determined solely by the official registries and medical professionals. Please consult the official websites linked above (Όραμα Ελπίδας, Anthony Nolan, Karaiskakio Foundation, WMDA) for current, country-specific requirements.