#SwabForYvette – Brother’s plea to East Asian community for stem cell donors to save sister’s life
- Yvette Chin, 41 of London, has months to live unless a donor can be found
- Yvette Chins’ brother and sister-in-law are calling for more Chinese and East Asian people to register as stem cell donors with the hashtag #SwabForYvette
- White Caucasian people have a 71% chance of finding a match from an unrelated donor. This drops to a 37% chance for patients from minority ethnic backgrounds
Yvette Chin is an explorer who makes friends wherever she goes, whether it’s at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro or while cycling around the outer Hebrides. When not traveling, she spends her life maintaining beautiful buildings for the nation, from Buckingham Palace to the Barbican.
In May 2021 she was suddenly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare aggressive blood cancer, and now she only has months to live. The last line of treatment is a stem cell transplant, but it needs to be a 90 percent genetic match and the family is calling for more East Asian people to sign up as donors.
75% of UK patients won’t find a matching donor in their families. Patients who are White Caucasian have a 72% chance of finding the best match from an unrelated donor but this nearly halves to 37% chance for patients from minority ethnic backgrounds. While exact statistics are unavailable, it’s understood that the chances are currently much lower for Yvette.
Yvette’s brother Colin and sister-in-law Serena are calling out a plea to the East Asian community in the UK and internationally to sign up to a bone marrow register, so that Yvette and others like her can have a second chance at life.
There are three main registers in the UK. People aged 16-30 can register with Anthony Nolan and people aged 17-55 can register with DKMS. It’s an incredibly easy procedure – a simple, free self administered mouth swab one can do at home. British Bone Marrow Registry accepts people from 17-40, you register when you donate blood.
Colin Chin, Yvette’s brother, said
“Our family has registered but it’s not enough. I hope if more people from the community know how quick and easy it is to do, and that it’s literally life saving, we can find a match. Not just for Yvette, but also for others who don’t have time to wait. I’m asking for everyone to sign up and share #SwabForYvette on social media to spread awareness that we all have the power to save lives with a simple mouth swab.”
Since Yvette’s diagnosis last May she’s been in and out of hospital for chemotherapy. She turned 41 in October 2021 and managed a weekend out of hospital, making time to catch the latest James Bond with her brother. She then started an experimental trial, but devastatingly, in February 2022 she was told the trial had failed, and without treatment she has three to six months left to live. Now her only chance for survival is to find a match for stem cell donation through the bone marrow register.
Yvette Chin said:
“There are others in my situation right now, and there will be more in the future. People, who like me, want to see their nieces, nephews, sons and daughters grow up. The more people who sign up right now, the more likely there will be a bone marrow match for me and countless others.”
Beverley Lin, Centre Director of the London Chinese Community Centre said:
“Our community must come together and Swab For Yvette, for our brothers, our sisters, our mothers and fathers. There are relatively few Chinese people on the blood donor register and it’s within our community’s grasp to fix this, right away, and save lives.”
Terence Lovell, Chief Engagement & Marketing Officer at Anthony Nolan said:
“To be told there is no stem cell donor for you, because of your ethnicity, will have been devastating to hear. We are doing everything we can to support Yvette and her family during this difficult time.
“You have a one in three chance of finding your perfect genetic match on the stem cell register if you’re from a minority ethnic background. We must change the odds, which is why we’re calling on young people from East Asian backgrounds aged 16-30 to join the Anthony Nolan register.
“Every single person who signs up to the register has the potential to give hope to someone, like Yvette, who is in desperate need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant. Together, we can work towards a future where ethnicity does not influence who survives blood cancer.”
How is donation actually done?
The main method of donating is Peripheral Blood Stem Cell donation (PBSC). In the UK, this is done 90% of the time, and is safe and easy. With PBSC, you are actually giving stem cells, not bone marrow; and the donation process is very similar to giving blood.
Step 1: You are given a small jab/injection of G-CSF for 4 days. This causes your body to temporarily produce extra stem cells.
Step 2: On day 5, you go to a clinic where you are connected to a special machine. It draws blood out of one arm, filters and collects stem cells only, and returns the rest of your blood back into your other arm. This process is called aphaeresis and takes about 4 hours.
In the UK the main registers are the British Bone Marrow Registry, Anthony Nolan and DKMS. They each have different criteria for joining, but everyone registered is entered into a global database.
What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia?
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. It progresses quickly and aggressively and requires immediate treatment. Both adults and children can be affected.
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is rare, with around 790 people diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK. Most cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia develop in children, teenagers and young adults.
Although it is rare, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common type of leukaemia that affects children. About 85% of the cases that affect children happen in those younger than 15 (mostly between the ages of 0 and 5). It affects slightly more boys than girls.
If you would like to learn more about Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia click HERE.
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