The Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is in desperate need of new donors in the 18- to 35-year-old age range.
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00:00 Are you aged between 18 to 35?
00:02 If you are, you can do something very simple
00:05 that might potentially save a life.
00:07 The Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
00:10 is in desperate need of people to sign up.
00:13 Each year, about 1,000 Australians with cancers,
00:15 such as leukaemia, need a bone marrow
00:18 or blood stem cell transplant.
00:20 But finding a donor is like finding a needle in a haystack.
00:24 It doesn't help that Australia's donor registry is so low.
00:28 Often, those seeking stem cells
00:30 will have to receive their transplant from an overseas donor,
00:33 as other countries have done far more over the years
00:36 to boost their registries.
00:37 You can only sign up to be a donor if you are aged between 18 to 35.
00:44 You will remain on the list until you are 60,
00:46 but the registry only accepts new donors in the 18 to 35 age range.
00:50 That's because younger donors give their recipient
00:53 a much better chance at life.
00:55 Doctors will overwhelmingly choose younger donors
00:57 and are more likely to choose men,
00:59 as they can generally give more stem cells.
01:01 The Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
01:04 has a target to have 3% of all Australians
01:07 aged between 18 to 35 on the registry.
01:10 That's only 150,000 people,
01:13 or only one third of those who bought tickets
01:15 to Taylor Swift's Eras tour in Australia.
01:18 When you're on the list,
01:19 there's only about a one in 1,000 chance
01:21 that you are a match for someone.
01:23 If you are selected to be a donor,
01:25 you don't generally have to undergo an invasive procedure.
01:28 For most, it's similar to giving blood,
01:29 and the recovery time might be a day or two.
01:31 But how do you become a donor?
01:37 Well, you can sign up online to receive a swab kit that you send off.
01:41 It's super simple, and these can be ordered from Strength to Give.
01:45 Alternatively, next time you are giving blood,
01:47 you can ask to be signed up to the registry.
01:50 So if you're 18 to 35, please consider signing up.
01:54 you might just save someone's life.
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