Derby blood lecturer beats 1 in 2,000 odds to donate life-saving stem cells and rallies for others of Black heritage to sign up

A blood lecturer from Derby has potentially saved the life of a stranger by donating stem cells and is now calling for others of Black Caribbean or Black African heritage to sign up as donors too.

Nicola Rouse, 44, beat odds of 1 in 2,000 to be asked to donate blood stem cells for a patient in need, in an event with extra significance for her, given her career-long focus in haematology.

Mum of 2, Nicola, spent 17 years as an NHS Biomedical Scientist, specialising in haematology and transfusion and now lectures in the same subject for the Open University. She is calling for others of Black heritage to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, to increase the odds of patients in need finding the match they need.

It can be significantly more difficult to find a suitable match for patients of Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity backgrounds, due to the lack of suitable potential donors on the register – for a successful stem cell transplant, both donor and recipient need matching tissue types and patients are most likely to match with donors of a similar ethnic heritage. The NHS needs 555 people of Black and Asian heritages to register with the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry each month, to help ensure more patients can find the best possible match.

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

Nicola says: "I have spent my whole career focused on blood and transfusions and have been a regular blood donor, so to now be given the chance to donate my stem cells and potentially save somebody's life, feels like the natural next step to take. It feels incredible to know that I am the one person who can help this patient and I’m honoured to be able to do so.

"I'd encourage everybody, especially those of Black heritage to register as a potential stem cell donor. Signing up is easy, donating is simple and the fact you can help somebody in such an extraordinarily life-changing way is incredible."

Guy Parkes, Head of Stem Cell Donation and Transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

"We would like to thank Nicola for not only giving somebody the most incredible gift by donating stem cells, but for her years of work and advocacy around all things blood and transfusion, too.

"We always need more people to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, especially those of Black and Asian heritage and of other mixed ethnicities, in order to save or significantly improve as many lives as possible. Stem cells do save lives and only by signing up can you be found as somebody’s perfect match."

How you can help

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.

When a person needs a stem cell transplant, the global registries are searched for a tissue match. Most people on the stem cell register will never be called upon to donate, but the more people on the register, the higher the chance of finding a match for every patient who needs one. In the majority of cases, stem cells are donated through the blood stream, in a simple process that takes just a few hours.

NHS Blood and Transplant recruits blood donors aged 17 to 40 to join the stem cell register. Learn more about stem cells.