To mark World Blood Cancer Day which is observed on May 28, DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders, launched their digital campaign #WeAreAllWeNeed that calls for Indians to come forward and register as potential blood stem cell donors.

The campaign which involves celebrities and influencers across the country, aims to spread the message how a simple cheek swab can save the life of a blood cancer patient who needs a stem cell transplant-especially if you are an Indian.

Indian patients mainly require an Indian tissue match, but Indians are underrepresented in the stem cell registry which makes it difficult for patients to find a match. And DKMS-BMST is hoping to change that along with renowned celebrities and influencers from different fields who are coming forward to support the cause such as Harsha Bhogle, Farhan Qureshi, Meghashree, Rishab Rana, Pratheik Sehajpal, Shreya Jain, to name a few.

Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India, said, “For patients who cannot find a matching donor the delay can be fatal. The campaign #WeAreAllWeNeed raises awareness on the importance of registering as donors and helps spread the word to win the battle against blood cancer. If every single one of us does our part, by registering just imagine the number of lives we can save.”

Celebrities are posting their video appeal and photos with the official symbol for World Blood Cancer Day the red ampersand sign “&” — which symbolizes solidarity with those affected by blood cancer.

Blood cancer accounts for 8% of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in India. Many patients suffering from blood cancer and other blood disorders need a blood stem cell transplant to survive. Every year over 80,000 new searches are initiated worldwide for an unrelated matching donor.

Unfortunately, the majority of patients are never able to receive a transplant due to the unavailability of a matching blood stem cell donor. In India, only 0.04% of the total population is registered as a potential blood stem cell donor.

Do good things and spread the word

Be it Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Linked In, or WhatsApp – tell the world you’re on standby to save a life. Be as creative as you like and use the ‘&’ symbol in just a piece of paper, or draw on your palm!

To show your support to the cause you can share your photos using the hashtags #WBCD #WeAreAllWeNeed #MakeYourMark and #DKMSBMST, to be featured on their social media handles.

To become a potential blood stem cell donor all you need to do is register with DKMS-BMST as a blood stem cell donor through their online portal: www.dkms-bmst.org/register