Tammy Berman

Tammy chose to swab on Israel tour with FZY at the age of 16. Two years later, she received an email saying she was a potential match.

“I remember feeling nervous. But also strangely honoured, to have been given an opportunity to make a huge difference. Following a blood test, another email told me I was the strongest match, and several phone calls explained the next steps: medical, questionnaire, explanation of the donation process, and flexible scheduling.

Donating stem cells had a deep personal effect on me because my sister, Shani, passed away from a heart condition aged 5 3/4. She had, as we liked to say, a ‘magic heart’. I don’t know what it’s like to need a stem cell transplant. But I do know what it’s like to lose a loved one, and to be afraid of losing a loved one.

Not everyone hears from their recipient, so I was over the moon when I did actually hear from the person that my stem cells went to, that that small thing I did gave them back their life. It was the most incredible moment. It made me cry, and smile, and I’ll never ever forget it.”

Jacob Harris

Twenty-one year old Jacob chose to get swabbed at a drive in Leeds in the late spring of 2024.

“I’d just been in Israel for the summer doing an apprenticeship and came back to be told I was a potential match. I was quite surprised at how quick it all was. I felt a bit surreal, in terms of that I was capable of helping someone in such a way. The person I was donating to was a complete stranger living in Canada.

Surprisingly, I was never scared. I was quite confident going into it, that it was the right thing to do, to help someone else. I didn’t feel that emotional because it felt like such an insignificant thing to do to help someone in such a big way. I met with these amazing nurses who talked me through everything. When I’d finished, I’d given over 6 million stem cells, they were very thankful. It’s such a minor inconvenience but makes such a big impact. There’s no reason people shouldn’t be open to doing it.”

Shaina Lesser

Shaina’s stem cell donation story started in 2019, when she was in Year 12. Following an assembly on the importance of joining the stem cell register, especially to support patients from ethnic backgrounds, she and her friends chose to swab.

“Fast forward a year to the first lockdown of 2020 and I got a call saying I was a match for someone needing treatment. To be honest, I never expected to be a donor at all, let alone be a match for someone in as little as a year after joining the register. There was no doubt in my mind about donating and I was so excited about starting the process.

I donated my stem cells in October 2020 over two days. Knowing that giving up two days of my life could potentially save someone else’s made it all worth it. And since my initial donation, I’ve twice donated more cells to the same patient.“While this was an emotionally challenging process, it is without a doubt my proudest achievement. It’s a massive privilege to have been able to do this.”