The Gift of Life Australia’s mission is to raise awareness about the life saving potential of Stem Cell, Bone Marrow and Cord Blood transplants and to increase the representation of Jewish people on the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
Tissue type is inherited. A patient’s best chance of finding a genetic match lies with those in their immediate family or with those of similar ethnic ancestry. Only one third of patients find a relative whose tissue matches theirs, the rest need to find an unrelated donor within their community to increase their chance of survival. Patients with a Jewish heritage are more likely to find a match with someone of a similar background.
There are currently several Jewish people in Australia and many worldwide diagnosed with life threatening diseases such as leukaemia and aplastic anemia. A stem cell transplant is their only chance of survival. The need for volunteer potential donors from the Jewish community is urgent.
