Patient-Specific Donor Drives

When a patient urgently needs a blood stem cell transplant and does not have a suitable family donor, finding a compatible unrelated donor becomes an important part of their treatment journey.

In some cases, and in collaboration with the patient's treating healthcare team, DKMS Africa can work with patients and their families to mobilise their communities and encourage more people to register as potential stem cell donors.

These patient-specific donor drives build on the networks already surrounding a patient from family and friends to workplaces, schools, universities, faith communities, sports clubs and other organisations, while helping their story reach new audiences who may also be inspired to register.

Every new person who registers expands the pool of potential donors and could ultimately be the match a patient is waiting for.

What is a patient-specific donor drive?

DKMS Africa runs donor recruitment drives throughout the year to encourage eligible people to join the stem cell donor registry.

A patient-specific donor drive has a more focused purpose. It is organised around the search for a patient who needs a matching stem cell donor and can involve the patient and their family sharing their story and opening their personal and community networks to support donor recruitment. With the family's consent, DKMS Africa can help identify opportunities within these networks and amplify the patient's appeal to reach more potential donors.

This could include:

• Workplaces and professional networks
• Schools, universities or alumni communities
• Faith-based organisations
• Sports clubs and community organisations
• Family and friendship networks
• Local businesses and corporate partners
• Social media and digital communities.

The aim is to reach people who may feel a personal connection to the patient's story while also introducing stem cell donation to communities that may not previously have encountered DKMS.

The power of your community

A patient's own community can be one of the strongest starting points for a donor recruitment campaign. Friends, relatives, colleagues and community members often want to help but may not know how. Registering as a potential stem cell donor, sharing the patient's appeal or helping DKMS reach another community gives them a meaningful way to take action.

When patients and families are comfortable sharing their story, DKMS Africa can work with them to extend that reach beyond their immediate network and encourage more eligible people to register. While there is no guarantee that someone recruited through a patient-specific drive will be the matching donor for that particular patient, every registration strengthens the donor registry. A person inspired to register for one patient could ultimately become a lifesaving match for another patient anywhere in the world.

Ways to support a patient-specific drive

In-person donor drives

Together with DKMS Africa, families and supporters can identify opportunities to host donor registration drives within their communities. These could take place at a workplace, school, university, community organisation, place of worship or another suitable location.

At the event, eligible participants can register as potential stem cell donors through a quick and simple process that includes completing the required consent information and providing cheek swabs for HLA typing.

Virtual donor drives

A virtual drive allows people to support a patient regardless of where they live. DKMS Africa can create a dedicated online registration route that can be shared with family, friends, colleagues and wider networks. Eligible people can register online and receive their swab kit directly, allowing the campaign to reach beyond a single physical event.

Virtual and in-person activities can also work together, helping a patient's appeal reach as many potential donors as possible.

How DKMS Africa supports you

You do not have to organise a patient-specific donor drive alone. Our team works with patients, families and relevant healthcare professionals to understand the circumstances and identify appropriate opportunities to mobilise potential donors.

Depending on the campaign and the patient's circumstances, support may include:

• Guidance on planning donor recruitment activities
• Identifying opportunities within the patient's existing networks
• Support approaching workplaces, schools and community organisations
• Donor registration events
• Virtual donor drive support
• Educational and donor recruitment materials
• Guidance on sharing the patient's story
• Communications and awareness support where appropriate
• Amplification through relevant DKMS Africa channels and networks.

Our goal is to help families turn the willingness of their communities to help into meaningful action – while growing a diverse donor registry that gives more patients the opportunity to find their best possible match.