Hannah Crawshaw, 30, from Leigh, has donated her stem cells to a complete stranger in America, giving the recipient a potentially lifesaving transplant. The donation took place after she was contacted by blood cancer charity DKMS UK, which had matched her with a patient in need.
A Selfless Decision Rooted in Compassion
Hannah, who works as a re-ablement support worker for people coming out of hospital, said: "I genuinely love helping people. I've not got the brains to become a doctor or a surgeon, but I've got bits and pieces of me that can help other people when they're in a dark time. And we're all human beings; we're all someone's baby. If you can help, why wouldn't you?"
She has been on the stem cell donor register with DKMS UK since 2016, after reading a news article about a mother searching for a donor for her three-year-old daughter. "I just remember thinking that cancer doesn't care about gender, age, or anything like that, and it broke my heart that it was such a small child," she explained. "So I decided to sign up that day."
The Donation Process and a Global Twist
Earlier this year, Hannah was told she was a match for a patient needing a stem cell transplant – someone living in America. After a blood test and medical checks, she travelled to a clinic in Sheffield for the outpatient procedure, similar to donating blood platelets.
She said: "I felt so supported through the entire process from the first phone call and there was no pressure at all to go ahead. It was just such an amazing experience support-wise from everyone, and they got all the cells they needed in the one day."
Hope for the Recipient
Due to strict regulations protecting anonymity, Hannah cannot know the recipient's identity, but she does know her cells were used for an older man in America. "When I heard the age bracket, it was very emotional," she said. "It made me straight away think 'that could be my dad or my mum'. Maybe they've got children my age; they could be new grandparents or just about to start that phase in their life. To know that they've now got hope, it's wonderful."
DKMS UK spokesperson Deborah Hyde said: "What Hannah has done is inspirational. Everyone who signs up to the stem cell donor register and goes on to donate is a key link in a worldwide chain of hope for people waiting to have a compatible transplant."
Encouraging Others to Join
Hannah has now joined forces with DKMS to encourage more people to sign up. She concluded: "If I received the call tomorrow that they needed another donation, I'd do it again because it's all temporary, any discomfort or inconvenience. For the recipient, that's their life – we have the potential to be able to change the course that they're on."
Anyone aged 16-55 and in general good health can join the DKMS stem cell donor register by completing some painless mouth swabs and answering a few health questions.
