1. Your Name Your Name Your Name PRESENTED BY
“Hello, my name is ……”– I’m from The Hero Project, an education programme run by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan
Every day, Anthony Nolan helps save the lives of people who are suffering from blood cancers like leukaemia
I’m here today to explain how you too can make a difference to the lives of others”
Your
Name
PRESENTED BY
PRESENTED BY
Your Name
Your Name

2. The aim is to start the presentation off with interaction and get the audience thinking that saving a life can be simple and something they can do….
“Take a minute to think about the people who save lives every day – paramedics, doctors, firefighters, lifeguards. Hands up if you think you could save a life like that?” OR
“What does the word lifesaver mean to you? What kind of person does it make you think of? Do you think it’s something you could do?”

3. “Saving a life doesn’t have to involve bravery or a heroic act – it can be simple.
Ordinary people save lives every day, by giving some of their time and donating something of themselves
Today I’m going to give you an overview of three ways you can save a life – stem cell, blood and organ donation
There’s no pressure today – I just want to give you facts and encourage you to think about what you’ve heard
There’s nothing graphic in the presentation but some people might find some of the topics difficult, so if you need to leave the room please do so”

4. Adrian Sudbury was a 27 year old journalist who died of leukaemia.
When he was terminally ill, he led a successful campaign to educate year olds about stem cell, blood and organ donation.
He believed that if young people are given the facts about what it means to be a donor, many more would join the various registers.
He wanted to 'bust the myths' surrounding donation
Our education programme is Adrian's legacy.

5. WHO NEEDS ORGAN DONATION?
“Organ donation is needed by people like Caragh. She’s healthy now but when she was two, she had a life-threatening liver condition
Her life was saved by a liver transplant – thanks to a family who agreed to donated their loved ones organs
WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
“Registering as an organ donor shows that you’d like your organs to be used after you’ve died, to help someone like Caragh
36% of people in the UK have registered as donors BUT not all of them have told their family
It’s important to tell your family because they would be asked for consent at the time of donation
More donors are needed –3 people die each day waiting for a transplant”

6. WHO CAN BE AN ORGAN DONOR?
“You can register at any age.
You can register online at or by filling in a form we’ll give out the end of the talk today
When you register, you can choose what you’d like to donate.
Remember, if you join the register, make sure you tell your family, as they wont know unless you talk about it.”
Notes on OPT OUT (you don’t have to deliver this, but helpful if you get questions)
You might have heard that the Government in England is planning to bring in an ‘opt out’ system for organ donation in spring 2020.
This means that everyone who is 18 or over will be automatically assumed to be an organ donor, unless they opt out of being on the register. However, families would still be asked for consent before organ donation could go ahead – so it’s still really important to talk to your loved ones about your wishes.
Until that new rule comes in, people need to sign up if they wish to be on the organ donor register. And, even when the new rule comes in, it won’t apply to certain groups of people including under 18s – so you’ll still need to register if you wish to be a donor.

7. WHO NEEDS BLOOD DONATION?
People like Henry rely on blood donors. Henry’s got sickle cell anaemia, an inherited disorder of the red blood cells.
Regular blood transfusions are what helps Henry and others like him to stay well and live longer
Blood can’t be stored for long.
6,000 people need to attend donation sessions every day to make sure there’s enough blood for those who need it.
We need more regular donors –in the past year, only 2.3% of people in England who could give blood actually did so*
*Note: 2.3% of the eligible population, defined as people aged in England 

8. WHO CAN GIVE BLOOD?
“You can start giving blood from the age of 17, like Chloe.
“You can register online to give blood – or take away one of our forms today
“Once you’ve signed up, you’ll get a letter telling you where your nearest session is – or you can book an appointment online
If you don’t live near a permanent donor centre, it may mean you wait a little longer before you can get an appointment in your area. It isn’t because your blood isn’t wanted – it’s just that the blood service have to make sure they’re collecting the right amount of blood, of the right types, from the right donors, at the right time.
Blood can only be stored for a short time and the blood service want to ensure they make best use of donations people make .
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY?
“You arrive at your appointment and a nurse takes you through a short medical form
They’ll prick your finger and test a drop of blood to make sure your iron levels are ok. The required iron level has just gone up – so if your iron is a little low, you may not be able to donate on that day
They may also check your height and weight, to ensure your blood volume is high enough for you to donate
You’ll sit in a comfy chair and have a needle placed in one arm
One unit of blood is taken – about a pint (470ml) . This part takes 5-10 minutes
You get something to eat and drink and then you can go home
You’ll have given an hour of your day – but your one unit of blood can save three lives”

9. WHAT ARE STEM CELLS AND HOW DO THEY SAVE LIVES?
“Stem cells are made in bone marrow, which is inside our bones
“They develop into other kinds of cell – including blood cells
“If someone has a blood cancer, their stem cells aren’t developing properly
“Sometimes their only hope is to have a transplant – which means killing off their unhealthy cells and replacing them with healthy cells from a matching donor”

10. WHO NEEDS STEM CELL TRANSPLANTS?
“Beth was diagnosed with leukaemia and, at 14, doctors said only a stem cell transplant would save her life
“There’s only a 30% chance that a brother or sister will be a matching donor – most people get their match from a stranger on the register
“Beth’s sister Jemma (right) wasn’t a match but Beth was lucky – she found a donor and had her transplant”

11. WHO CAN REGISTER AS A POTENTIAL DONOR?
“You can join the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register if you are aged and weigh more than 7st 12lbs (50kg)
“You’ll stay on until you are 60 and there’s a 1 in 790 chance that you’ll be asked to donate in the next five years.
“Think about it before you register. If you’re a match for someone, you might be their only match - so you need to feel confident that you’d go through with the donation if you got the call”
HOW DO YOU REGISTER AS A DONOR?
“To sign up, you need to fill in application form.
“You can do that on the Anthony Nolan website (or at an event if we’re coming back to run one)
“You’ll be asked to give a DNA sample from your mouth, using a simple test kit. If you’re at an event, we’ll show you how. If you’ve ordered your kit online, there’ll be instructions on how to use it and send it back to Anthony Nolan
“Your sample will be tested to get your tissue type, which is put on the register with your details
“You’ll get a donor card in the post to confirm you’re on the register”

12. “If you are a match for a patient, there are two ways you can give your stem cells
“90% of the time, they are taken from the bloodstream

13. THROUGH THE BLOODSTREAM – PBSC*
“Stephen (pictured) is donating through the bloodstream
“A nurse visited him at college once a day for four days and gave him a small injection
“That stimulated his body to produce more stem cells and send them into the bloodstream – some people feel achey and tired during this part
“On day 5, Stephen went to the donation centre (which can be London / Sheffield – for him it was Sheffield)
“He had a needle in one arm, which took blood to a machine that filtered off the stem cells
“The rest of the blood went back into his other arm
“The whole process takes 4-5 hours – you can watch DVDs, go online or take a friend / relative with you.
“Donors say it’s not painful but a bit tiring.
“Stephen said he was happy to give up some time to help a patient: ‘We’d all like to think that a stranger would step up in our time of need, but sometimes we’re that stranger.’
*PBSC = peripheral blood stem cell

14. “Stem cells can also be collected directly from the bone marrow, where they’re made.
“This method isn’t done very often now but sometimes it is better for the patient – or donor”

15. BONE MARROW DONATION
“Ethan donated via the bone marrow donation method. He stayed in hospital the night before and, the next day, he had a general anaesthetic
“He was asleep and didn’t feel anything while doctors used a needle and syringe to take the stem cells from the back of his hip (indicate to the audience)
“Ethan had to stay in hospital for a day, while he came around from the anaesthetic.
“Like most donors, hehad a slightly sore lower back for a few days and felt tired”

16. WHAT CAN YOU DO TODAY?
“Take a blood and organ leaflet
“Take it home – if you want to sign up as a blood or organ donor, fill in the relevant part and tell your family.
“Then seal it up and put it in the postbox (no stamp needed)
“You can also sign up online if you prefer – just Google blood or organ donation and click through to the relevant website

17. Interested in knowing more about stem cell donation, or how you can help Anthony Nolan to save lives?
We have some giveaway cards here today (let students know where in the room they are – seats, at the front etc)
You’ll see a link on this card to a website where you can go and fill in your details
Then we can you and tell you more about how you can get involved with our lifesaving work
That could be joining the donor register, helping us raise funds, or just spreading the message
There’s no pressure and we won’t pass your details on to anyone else
Additional info: If there’s a recruitment event coming up, mention this now. You can also add the recruitment event slide

18. Invite questions

20. XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX
Slide which can be used to publicise any forthcoming recruitment event at the school
Populate the date time and venue with the information given to you by your RRDM in advance of the talk

21. Your ethnic background influences your genetic make up - that means you’re more likely to be a matching donor for someone who shares your ethnic heritage
But there’s a shortage of donors from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds – this makes it much harder for patients from these backgrounds who need a stem cell transplant, blood transfusion or organ donation.
Currently, 60% of white stem cell transplant recipients get the best possible match – but this drops to just 20.5% if the patient is from a BAME background.
1.6 million people donated blood in the UK last year – but only 3% of them were from black, Asian or minority ethnic communities. Black donors are needed because certain blood diseases, like sickle cell disease, are more common in black populations. These people are more likely to have the blood group RO which is needed to treat patients with sickle cell disease.
Statistically, people in BAME communities are also more likely to need an organ transplant than the rest of the population as they are more susceptible to illnesses such as diabetes, which may result in organ failure and the need for a transplant.
But they wait twice as long for a transplant as a white patient (two years rather than one year) – because of a shortage of BAME donors.