After the donation

After your stem cell donation, we ask you to take part in a donor follow-up. This helps us to keep a close eye on your well-being.

Graphic showing female member of DKMS staff

The first donor follow-up takes place four weeks after your stem cell donation. It consists of a blood test to check your blood values have returned to normal after the donation and a questionnaire.

You will receive the questionnaire, directly after your donation, from the DKMS team. Please return the completed health questionnaire, together with the results of your blood test, to followup@dkms.org.uk.

In addition, you will receive a letter for your family doctor.

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Long-term donor follow-up

All further donor follow-up will be through DKMS. Blood tests are usually no longer necessary.

Protecting your health after your donation

Why and how often are my blood values checked?

After a stem cell donation, the body regenerates the stem cells within a few weeks. The follow-up programme includes checking blood values four weeks after donation to make sure that the relevant blood values have returned to normal.

Only if a blood value needs to be rechecked will we ask for additional blood tests.

Can I donate blood in the run up to and after a blood stem cell donation?

If you are identified as a potential blood stem cell match for someone, we ask that you do not donate blood from the time of confirmatory typing. Your confirmatory typing will take place after you are identified as a potential donor.

Following your donation, we ask you not to donate blood until six months after a peripheral blood stem cell donation and 12 months after a bone marrow donation.

How often do I have to have blood samples taken after donation?

Normally, a blood sample only needs to be taken once - four weeks after donation. Only in the case that a blood value needs to be rechecked will we ask for additional blood tests.