For Sophie, taking part in the research programme was an easy decision alongside donating stem cells.
After a few hours, millions of stem cells had been collected from her blood.
The cells are typically transported and transplanted into the anonymous recipient within 72 hours of collection.
When it came to the blood sample she gave for research purposes, she said: “The nurses explained the whole process. They said it could help identify new donors in the future. I thought it was such a great thing. It doesn’t do anything for me, it’s just taking a bit more blood.”
Sophie travelled from her home in Woking, Surrey, to the Nottingham centre.
Between September 2025 and July 2026, 237 donors there provided stem cells for patients with blood cancers and blood disorders, while 88 donors also opted into the research programme which analyses donors and matches transplant recipients’ blood.
Watching the donation unfold was an emotional experience for Sophie’s sister Emily.
“We’re immensely proud and it’s such a wonderful privilege to watch Sophie go through all this,” she said. “To help someone is such an incredible thing to watch and be part of.”
The charity stipulates that donors need to be 16 to 30 years old and stay on the register until they are 61.
Most people signed up never come up as a match. But those who do could be lifesavers.
For Sophie, it started with a chance match with a stranger.
Her stem cells could help save a life today. The blood sample she provided for research may help save lives tomorrow.
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