Generation Lifesaver
What is Generation Lifesaver?
Generation Lifesaver is a national initiative giving students aged 16-18 the chance to register as potential stem cell donors and help save the lives of people living with blood cancer and blood disorders.
The programme helps schools across the country come together and gives them the opportunity to inspire their students to take action and make a real difference.
How your school can take part
Getting involved is simple, and the DKMS team will be with you every step of the way.
Here’s what participating in the DKMS UK Schools Project includes:
An introduction to stem cell donation
We'll arrange a convenient time for a DKMS UK ambassador and a stem cell donor to visit your school. They'll share their personal experiences in an assembly and answer students' questions about what it means to donate.
Useful resources
After the assembly, students will receive a PDF leaflet reminding them of what is involved in becoming a stem cell donor, along with the details of when they will be able to swab at their school.
We’ll also provide you with an email to parents, so your school can easily share details about the registration event.
Registration event
We will agree a time for the registration event, with a team of trained volunteers running the swabbing session for students aged 16+ who choose to register. We can also register staff aged 55 and under, where appropriate.
Everyone involved will receive full training and support from DKMS.
What DKMS UK provides
- We will bring all the materials required.
- There's no cost to the school – but some opt to wear red on a Friday or organise a bake sale to fundraise and help us cover the cost of registering more potential donors.
- The registration process is quick and easy: students complete an online form on their phone, swab their cheeks, and that’s it!
- In just a few minutes, students can join the stem cell register, taking the first step toward saving someone’s life.
- This event may also provide your school with media opportunities. Our PR & Media team will be happy to support here.
Why young donors matter
Young donors play a vital role in giving patients the best chance of a successful stem cell transplant. Medical evidence shows that stem cells from younger donors often lead to better transplant outcomes, which is why healthcare teams are more likely to select younger donors when a match is found.
By encouraging more 16–18 year olds to join the register, Generation Lifesaver helps grow the pool of potential donors and increases the chances of patients finding a lifesaving match when they need it most.
Young people – like Louis – can also remain on the register for many years, helping more patients in the future.
Meet Louis
When Louis Shepard was an A Level student at Wirral Grammar School for Boys, he was in the same year as Nathan Williams. Nathan's father, Andy, had recently had a stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, so his family organised an assembly at their school to encourage students aged 16+ to join the register with DKMS.
"After the assembly, they had a little station in one of the sixth form areas, and we signed up there...", Louis explains, "...sent off some swabs, and then we were all on the database. It was really easy and didn't take too long.
“DKMS had said most people will probably never be asked to donate, but I was in Thailand travelling on my gap year after A Levels when they got in touch and said ‘you're a match’.
"I was like, ‘oh, sound?’ – I wasn't expecting it, like, but I wasn't complaining either!
“Lots of people know about things like donating blood, but they don't always know about stem cell donation, so when I told friends and family, they were asking me questions, and I had to explain the whole process. But then everyone was really supportive of it.
“I went to a clinic in Manchester to donate my stem cells. Everyone was dead nice and there was a nurse there the whole time if I had any questions. I didn't even feel it really – I was mostly on my phone, but I had a little bruise on my hand after. You do feel quite tired after it, but DKMS had got me a hotel for the night and I had Judge Judy on the TV, so I just kept falling asleep.
"Later, DKMS told me my stem cells went to help a man in America. I was expecting them to go somewhere in the UK, but to America is quite crazy, isn't it – to be able to help someone that far away?
"In time, if they were up for it, I’d definitely like to meet them. If I do get to, it’d be quite a nice thing seeing who's being helped. And I'd fully donate again if I was asked!"
300 potential lifesavers recruited at Limavady Grammar, Northern Ireland
Limavady Grammar recently partnered with DKMS UK to host a donor registration event at their school, adding over 300 new lifesavers to the stem cell register over two days.
The event was a huge success and a testament to the strength of communities in schools.
Your school can be the next to harness the power of their lifesavings in waiting.
Hear from two people at the heart of the event
“Partnering with DKMS was an incredibly rewarding experience for our school. The process was simple, the support from the DKMS team was outstanding, and the enthusiasm from our pupils was inspiring.
Over 300 teachers, pupils and members of our local community signed up on the day. As a parent whose child’s life was saved by a transplant, I know just how vital stem cell donations are – and I’m so proud our students are helping to give others that same chance.”
“I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to become a lifesaver, seeing first-hand how a stem cell transplant can save a life. My friend, Ben, donated his stem cells to his younger brother.
It was also a great feeling to see how our school came together to support the cause. The swab kit itself was very simple and easy to complete, nobody had any difficulties completing it. I think it is a great movement that everyone eligible should consider being a part of!"
18-year-old Jamie from Ireland became our 3,000th donor after joining the register through Generation Lifesaver.
It was at Strabane Academy that he met our Donor Recruitment team and joined the register back in December of 2025. But he didn't just become our 3,000th donor, he also became the first person from Generation Lifesaver to go on to donate stem cells.
Jamie's story is a powerful reminder of the impact early awareness and education about joining the stem cell register can have.
Get involved with Generation Lifesaver
Please complete the form using the button below and we’ll be in touch.
Thank you so much to everyone who is getting involved.
Generation Lifesaver is aimed at students aged 16–18.
16-year-olds can pre-register to join the stem cell register with DKMS UK and become active donors when they turn 18.
By joining early, young people can help give more patients a second chance at life.
No. Students aged 16 and over can choose to register independently. However, because stem cell donation is an important commitment, DKMS encourages young people to discuss their decision with their parents, guardians, or family members before joining the register.
Absolutely. Teachers, school staff, parents, and other members of the school community are welcome to join the stem cell donor register with DKMS UK if they are aged 16–55 and meet the eligibility criteria.
Each new registration increases the chances of patients potentially finding their lifesaving match.
Yes. Stem cell donation is a safe and well-established procedure that takes place in a certified collection clinic.
Donor safety is always our top priority. Each donor receives medical support throughout the donation process.
Around 90% of donations take place through a simple, non-surgical procedure similar to giving blood, while the remaining 10% are done through bone marrow under a general anaesthetic.
