Brit man forgot a form he signed as a student — six years later, he was stunned to learn an American woman’s life depended on his precious donation
A small action has the power to ripple across the globe. When a British student signed a form years ago, he had no idea that the simple action would end up saving a stranger’s life across the Atlantic. In 2019, Matt Wilkinson, a 24-year-old from Leeds, joined the stem cell register when a blood cancer charity, DKMS, visited his university halls, not realizing it could one day make a difference. Six years later, he was contacted as a match and donated his stem cells in England, a contribution that is now helping a woman in the United States. The story, reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post on January 3, 2026, highlighted how one small action can have a far-reaching impact.
The influence became clear when the man, now employed with the University of Leeds events team and previously a competitive swimmer, was notified that he matched a patient in need. “The whole thing was a bit of a shock, especially as it all moved very quickly once I was matched with the patient,” he said. He traveled to Manchester to donate his blood platelets, which were then sent overseas to an American woman aged between 50 and 70. While strict rules protected patient anonymity, he said he would love the chance to meet her one day. “She could be a similar age to my parents, so I had been thinking about how I’d want someone to donate if my mum were in that position,” he expressed.
He is now encouraging more people, particularly young men, to sign up for the stem cell register. DKMS warns that at any one time, around 2,000 people in the UK are waiting for a transplant. “I’ve been telling as many people as I can, but more people should know how important it is to sign up, and how easy it is,” he said. “It’s especially important for more guys my age to get registered. I’d 100 per cent do it again.” DKMS spokesperson Bronagh Hughes said, “Matt has done something truly amazing.” Thousands of patients around the world are waiting for a match, and signing up for the stem cell register is simple, requiring just a few cheek swabs and some basic health questions. "I was just glad that I was able to help someone," Matt commented.
A person never knows when their donation might provide someone with a second chance at life. In another story, Graeme Thomson, a dad from England, had signed up years ago as a stem cell donor and later found out he was a match for a patient with blood cancer. He flew to London for a simple outpatient procedure to donate his stem cells and thought the process was easy and straightforward. For a long time, he didn’t know what happened afterward, but a couple of years later, he received a letter from the recipient, also a father, who had survived the transplant and returned to normal life. “It was an unreal feeling. Until I got that letter, I hadn’t even been sure that he had made it,” Thomson said, overjoyed that his donation had saved a life.
If you are 17–55 and healthy, signing up is simple with just a few mouth swabs. Visit dkms.org.uk to get your kit.
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