"My donation took most of the day, but I was surrounded by wonderful, helpful people"
Mum of three, Lucy recently donated her blood stem cells via peripheral blood stem cell collection. She tells us what the experience meant to her.
Lucy lives in the seaside town of Exmouth in Devon with her husband, three children, their dog Penny and Bagel the tortoise. She loves horse riding; she has a lovely horse called Paddy who she rides in her spare time.
Lucy loves being outdoors, camping, going to the beach and generally spending time with her family. She runs her own business, Rainbows & Sprinkles since 2017, creating funky activewear to their own designs.
Q: How did you hear about DKMS and blood stem cell donation and what inspired you to sign up?
I saw an advert online for DKMS and read a story about a young boy who was saved by a stem cell donation. I have three children and so it really resonated with me.
Q: How did you feel when you were told you were a match for someone?
I was so honoured to have the chance to help someone in need. It's not often in life where you get given the opportunity to give someone their life again. I wasn't nervous at all and was excited to begin the process.
Q: What did the donation involve?
The donation involved various tests and a trip up to London to ensure that I was the best match. When this was proven to be the case, I began my injections to enable my body to start producing lots of stem cells. After this process was complete, I went up to London to begin the donation which involved a PBSC machine that took the stem cells from my body and collected them. This donation took most of the day, but I was surrounded by wonderful, helpful people and the hospital was so lovely.
Q: How did you feel after your donation?
I felt fine, I was a bit tired and took the next few days easier but generally, I wouldn't say it made much of an impact on me physically.
Q: What does the donation mean to you?
It meant a lot to me and it still does. I think about it often and think about my patient. I was thrilled to hear that he is doing really well. I would love to be given the opportunity to donate again.
Q: What would you say to anyone who might be considering registering as a potential blood stem cell donor?
Please register! It's an amazing thing that you can do for someone and the whole process from my side was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and supportive and to be able to give someone another chance at life is life-changing.
