Saving lives across the Atlantic
Lee Taylor, a dad from Blackpool, has made a lifesaving stem cell donation to a woman he had never met, on another continent.
A lifesaving connection across continents
In early 2022, DKMS contacted Lee to reveal he was a perfect match for a seriously ill patient. He had learned about the stem cell register a few years before, while donating blood, and decided to sign up. Without any other information about the patient, he made the selfless decision to donate his stem cells. Later that year, he travelled to London to donate, and his cells were immediately put on a plane and transported across the Atlantic.
Meanwhile, in Canada, Jennifer was critically ill. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, and in 2022, just ten months after completing treatment, she was diagnosed with leukaemia. The prognosis was poor, and doctors told her that she needed a stem cell transplant, or she had just weeks to live. With no match in her family, a global search had been underway for a stranger who could save her life.
A second chance
Thanks to Lee’s donation, Jennifer has been given her life back. Three years later, she is in remission, and has made a commitment to live life to the fullest. Once she was well enough, she decided to travel around Europe for the first time. However, her first stop would be the UK, so she would finally meet Lee, and thank him in person.
They met for the first time in London, and you can see their emotional first meeting here:
Every 14 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer. You can help us to match more people like Lee and Jennifer by joining the register.
Joining the DKMS stem cell register is a quick and easy process involving some mouth swabs, which takes just a few minutes. Anyone aged 17 – 55 years who is in general good health can register. Find out more here.
