Manchester woman celebrates 10 years of saving lives

A Manchester woman is celebrating a decade of saving lives, after she donated her stem cells to a stranger in March 2015. She has since spent years helping others to save even more in her role as a blood donor carer, taking what is thought to be thousands of blood donations and encouraging donors to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry.

Linzi's story

Linzi Dickinson, 37, from Droylsden, Manchester, signed up as a potential stem cell donor at a routine blood donation appointment in 2011, aged 24 and just 3 years later, got a call inviting her to save the life of a stranger through a simple donation.

2 years later, she joined NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) as a donor carer for the Manchester mobile team, travelling around the region taking blood donations - each one of which can save up to 3 lives - and encouraging others to sign up to the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry.

Linzi, now an Education and Training Facilitator at NHSBT, training new donor carers, says:

"I was giving blood when I was asked if I would like to join the stem cell registry and I said yes without hesitation – I loved the idea that I might be able to directly help somebody in need but I never thought that I would actually be called upon to donate. But just 3 years later, I got a call saying I was a match for somebody in need of a stem cell transplant and asking if I would be happy to make a donation – and of course, I was!

"Joining NHSBT 2 years later was a no-brainer – how incredible to be able to be a part of saving even more lives by not only taking blood donations from our amazing donors but also having the conversation that encourages other people to do as I did and register as a potential stem cell donor, too. It’s a real honour to be able to play even a small role in ensuring somebody else gets the treatment that they need – whether that’s blood or stem cells - to be able to significantly improve or even save their life."

Stem cell transplants are used to treat a number of diseases, including some forms of leukaemia and for many people they are the only chance of a cure.

Stem cells can be found in the bone marrow, a soft, spongy tissue at the centre of certain bones, and can produce all essential blood cells, including red and white cells and platelets. Stem cell donors and recipients must remain anonymous to each other for a minimum period of two years – but can share anonymous messages during this time, if both wish to do so.

Linzi says:

"I don’t know who received my stem cells, but I was told it was thought that it was a child due to the number of cells needed – and indeed, I got a letter shortly after the donation, from the recipient’s parents. It’s so special to know that I could help not only the recipient but their family, too and I hope that now, 10 years on, they are all happy and healthy."

For a successful stem cell transplant both donor and recipient need matching tissue types, known as human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type, which can be extremely difficult to find. When a patient needs a stem cell transplant, a global register of potential donors is searched, to find a registrant with matching tissue types.

After joining a stem cell registry, it is rare to be called upon to donate but the odds of a patient finding a match are significantly increased as more people sign up to the various global registers.

NHSBT recruits potential donors via blood donation. If a person agrees to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, an extra sample is taken when donating blood. People who cannot donate blood can join a different UK stem cell registry, but should only join one as all registries are anonymously pooled and searched when needed.

How you can help

Find more information on how to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry and the donation process.

You can also learn more about blood donation, how to register as a donor or book your next appointment on our Give Blood website.