Some paperwork follows you around: a parking ticket, a gym contract you can’t escape, and occasionally, a form that quietly waits six years for its chance to change a stranger’s life.
Matt Wilkinson, 24, joined the stem cell register in 2019 when the blood cancer charity DKMS visited his residence hall at the University of Leeds, as the Yorkshire Evening Post reported. Six years later, the events team worker and former competitive swimmer got a phone call out of the blue: somewhere in the United States, a woman between 50 and 70 years old needed exactly what his body could provide.
“The whole thing was a bit of a shock, especially as it all moved very quickly once I was matched with the patient,” he told the paper.
Within weeks, he was in Manchester for the donation, a procedure similar to giving blood in which stem cells are collected from the bloodstream over a few hours. His cells were then flown across the Atlantic to the woman waiting for them.
His reasons for signing up in the first place were refreshingly unfussy.
“I was very happy to sign up, they mentioned that young men often make the best stem cell donors, but are the least likely to join the register, so I thought it was important,” Wilkinson said. “I didn’t really have any reservations. I know I’m lucky to be fit and healthy, so I was just glad that I was able to help someone.”
Strict rules protect the recipient’s anonymity, but Wilkinson hasn’t stopped thinking about her.
“She could be a similar age to my parents, so I had been thinking about how I’d want someone to donate if my mum was in that position,” he said. If the chance to meet her ever comes, he’s taking it: “I would definitely like to meet her, if possible. It would be a few years down the line, but I’d jump at the chance.”
DKMS spokesperson Bronagh Hughes called his donation “truly amazing,” and the need for more people like him is real. According to DKMS, four in ten patients searching for a stem cell match never find one. Joining the register requires nothing more dramatic than a few cheek swabs and some health questions, and anyone aged 16 to 55 in good general health can order a free kit here.
Wilkinson, for his part, has become the register’s unofficial recruiter.
“I’ve been telling as many people as I can, but more people should know how important it is to sign up, and how easy it is,” he said. “It’s especially important for more guys my age to get registered. I’d 100 per cent do it again.”
