The SOAS Marrow Society works with the Anthony Nolan charity helping people with blood cancer to raise awareness about stem cell registration, as well as encouraging them to donate. We at SOAS Marrow are part of Anthony Nolan’s Marrow student network which encompasses over 50 universities across the UK. At Marrow, we spend our time helping dispel the myths of bone marrow donation and convincing people to join the register of potential donors at our sign up sessions. Donating bone marrow is not the ‘painful operation’ you may think it is as nowadays 90% of bone marrow donation occurs via a method which is similar to giving blood.
Here at SOAS, we give people the chance to join the register of lifesavers by coming along to a sign up session and providing a saliva sample – nothing more. After this, you will only be asked to donate your bone marrow if your DNA matches that of someone (anywhere in the world) who is suffering from a form of blood cancer. Joining the register and being asked to donate bone marrow is a unique opportunity to save someone’s life by curing their blood cancer. Be sure to keep an eye out for when our ‘sign up sessions’ are being held this year!
Additionally, we run training sessions for people interested in joining Marrow as a counsellor. Volunteering with us is a great way to meet new people, as well as being a form of work experience that is rewarding and action-based. In addition to being a brilliant cause, I feel a strong personal commitment to this charity, as bone cancer is something that I have personal experience with. As we are just starting out our Marrow journey at SOAS, we are always looking for volunteers – feel free to drop us a line @soasmarrow, and follow us for updates!
Photo caption: The SOAS Marrow logo (Credit: SOAS Marrow)