It’s never been easier to save a Jewish life
The total number of eligible stem cell donors on the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is currently the lowest it has been for decades.
It was 45 years ago that my dear father lost his battle with leukaemia. He was only 51 years old. Treatment of blood cancers has come a long way since then, however for many patients today a stem cell or bone marrow transplant is still their only chance of survival – if a DNA match can be found.
Every 27 minutes someone in Australia is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Whilst the best chance of a stem cell match is with a person from one’s immediate family, the chances of that are less than 50 per cent. The next best option is a match with a person of the same ancestry and ethnic background.
However finding that match can be elusive. The total number of eligible stem cell donors on the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is currently the lowest it has been for decades. This has exacerbated the challenge for minority ethnic groups as they are significantly under-represented on the registry. It’s a numbers game and it is up to our Jewish community to play a very direct and important role in saving Jewish lives; that is why Gift of Life Australia (GOLA) came into being.
GOLA was founded in 1998 by the late Shula Endrey Walder, with the support of Wolper Jewish Hospital. Shula and her volunteers would attend whatever events they could – from football games, to weddings, to dedicated donor drives – to add Jewish people to the register, often working feverishly to find matches for people in the community who needed a stem cell transplant.
Until very recently, the method of obtaining the DNA of potential donors was by taking vials of blood from registrants – a method that was expensive, intimidating to some and logistically challenging. However, in most developed countries, for decades, DNA has been collected by cheek swabs – a less intrusive, less costly and vastly more scalable option – leading to much higher registrants per capita in those countries.
In recent years GOLA – working with the registry and other parties – actively lobbied the federal and state health ministers for the collection of DNA by cheek swab. GOLA was actually a key participant in a 2019 pilot study which confirmed swabbing to be a far superior approach. However nothing changed despite the fact that 82 per cent of stem cells transplanted in Australia had to be sourced overseas, with all the associated logistical challenges, costs and risks.
Fast forward to 2023 and GOLA, prior to swabbing being formally introduced, sought permission for a swabbing drive for Murray Foltyn, a young member of our community with blood cancer. In just a few days, with the support of the registry and the Foltyn family, over 650 Jewish people joined the Australian registry. This was the largest ever number of people recruited in a single drive in Australia and made tangible the efficacy and appeal of swabs.
Following persistent lobbying of state governments, the use of cheek swabs has now been approved. This is a game-changer and it is now up to us as a community to ensure it leads to more registrants.
GOLA is actively seeking potential donors aged 18-35 years and we need our community to assist in raising both awareness and participation to increase the pool of stem cell donors available to save the lives of Jewish people with blood cancers. This can be achieved by individuals going online to www.gola.org.au and requesting a swab kit to be sent to their home and returned by pre-paid post.
GOLA is eager to conduct specific swab drives – online or in person – allowing people and organisations to encourage staff, friends, family, colleagues, teams and the general community to swab and join the registry at a dedicated event.
It is important to note that in over 90 per cent of instances, all a matched donor is required to do is donate blood. In less than 10 per cent of cases a bone marrow transplant is required, a painless procedure conducted under general anaesthetic.
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. It is extremely important that those of us over 35 years of age – even though we can’t join the registry – actively encourage those who are eligible to embrace the mitzvah of giving someone a second chance at life. Of course GOLA volunteers are available throughout the year to help plan events to swab community members – just email GOLA at info@giftoflife.org.au to discuss an event.
There can be no greater privilege than to save a person’s life. As the Talmud says, “To save one life is as if you have saved an entire world.”
Richard Glass is chair of Gift of Life Australia.
Go to www.gola.org.au and save a life.
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