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Who are you doing it for?

Why is Marlon looking for Surinamese stem cells? And does Fatima need a Moroccan kidney? You may have seen their appeals shared by well-known people on social media, radio or TV: calls for stem cell donors, organ donors, and blood donors from Moroccan, Surinamese and other non-Western backgrounds. There are currently far too few registered donors from our communities. As a result, many patients are unable to find a match. That is why patients are asking for your help.

Marlon and Fatima really need a stem cell and kidney donor

In the campaign film, two real patients play the leading roles: Marlon Etnel is searching for a stem cell donor and currently depends on medication. He is living with lymphoma and knows that if the treatment stops working, he will urgently need a stem cell transplant to survive. Fatima Bouazaoui is looking for a kidney donor. Two years ago, her body rejected a transplanted kidney, and she is now urgently searching for a compatible match.

The filming and photo shoots for the campaign were physically demanding for both of them. Still, Marlon and Fatima believe it is essential to raise awareness about the role of roots in finding a strong donor match.

2 of 3

2 out of 3 blood and stem cell donors are women.

1.227

1,227 people are currently on the waiting list for a kidney.

60-80

Each year, between 60 and 80 children are born with sickle cell disease.

18 - 35

In stem cell transplantation, stem cells from donors aged 18 to 35 offer the best chance of a successful outcome.

300

Approximately 300 patients in the Netherlands are living with thalassemia, about half of them are children.

40%

40% of children receiving kidney dialysis in the Netherlands have a non-Western migration background.