Team Margot campaigns for every individual who is eligible, particularly those of mixed heritage, to register as blood, organ, stem cell and bone marrow donors.

In October 2013, 14-month-old Margot Martini was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of blood cancer, and required a bone marrow transplant (also known as a stem cell transplant) to stand the best chance of survival.

Family and friends came together as Team Margot to raise awareness of Margot’s plight and others desperately seeking a blood stem cell donor match.

Margot’s mixed family heritage was the key obstacle to finding her a 'perfect’ tissue-type match, owing to the lack of diversity on stem cell and bone marrow registers. Margot eventually found a ‘suitable’ donor match and received her bone marrow transplant in February 2014.
Unfortunately, Margot’s Leukaemia was extremely aggressive. She relapsed during that summer and passed away, aged 2 years and 2 months, on the 27 October 2014.

During treatment, Margot needed many blood & platelet transfusions to keep her well and shortly before her death, her parents considered & agreed on donating Margot’s organs, if possible.

Margot’s family are unspeakably grateful to her selfless anonymous bone marrow donor for his miraculous gift, and also to all the blood and platelet donors, who gave Margot extra time with her family and loved ones.

Team Margot launched Margot’s donor appeal on Christmas Eve 2013 and has been credited with having run the most high profile global donor appeal anywhere in the world, embracing national and international TV, radio, print, online, outdoor media and Virgin America flights. Within the first 6 weeks of launch the charity, DKMS UK (previously named Delete Blood Cancer UK) received over 50,000 requests for swab kits in the UK alone.

Team Margot’s efforts to date have resulted in tens of thousands of people registering as potential stem cell donors. Statistically, this means that during the next ten years, more than 500 people will now have the chance of a potentially life saving bone marrow / stem cell transplant.

The first of these potentially life saving transplants occurred by way of peripheral stem cell donation in late 2014 thanks to an anonymous donor who registered after hearing of Margot’s appeal.

On average, there is someone every week who donates stem cells or bone marrow, having joined the register because they were inspired by Margot, or the efforts of Team Margot.

VISION

Team Margot imagine a world where every patient in need of a bone marrow transplant is confident of quickly finding a matching donor.

Team Margot want to help save the lives of all those people who, just like Margot and our family, never thought they’d need a bone marrow transplant.

For more information Please click here.

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