@stemcells.unite · Neema Naz
Signing Up as a Donor
"It's very easy. You take the cotton swab, you swab the inside of the cheeks. The whole process is about 5 minutes and you're done."
Featured Stories
Voices That Changed Everything
These are the stories at the heart of why IDSL exists — a donor and a patient, both part of the Iranian community.
Patient Stories · Jakob Salix
Watch Jakob's Story
Jakob tells his stem cell donation journey in two parts — from deciding to register to what the experience meant to him.
“Every conversation about stem cell donation helps save lives.”
Iranian-Scottish stem cell donor Jakob Salix joined CBC Daybreak South with campaign lead Farnaz Farahbakhsh to share his journey — from registering as a donor, to matching, to donating and saving a life.
Patient Stories · Ali Rizvi
Ali Rizvi — Leukemia Survivor
Ali's story as a stem cell transplant candidate of part-Iranian ancestry.
Leukemia Survivor · Transplant Candidate
Ali Rizvi
Part-Iranian ancestry
"Being from a minority group myself, I started to worry that if I weren't able to find a match with my family, I would have been doomed because my background is tremendously underrepresented on the registry."
Ali's story as a leukemia survivor of part-Iranian ancestry shows exactly what is at stake when communities are missing from the registry. His experience is at the heart of why IDSL exists — and why every registration matters.
Testimonials
Community & Public Figure Voices
Influencers, advocates, and community figures sharing why they support the Iranian donor registry movement.
@idslcanada · Testimonial
@idslcanada · Community Voice
In memory of Shahin Nouri — Maz Jobrani
"Joining the stem cell registry only takes a few minutes. It's simple, painless and could mean everything to someone waiting for a match. So, why not?"Join the Registry
Community Voices
Physicians, Advocates & Community Members
Iranians from all walks of life share why registering as a stem cell donor matters — in their own words.
Community Voices
Iranians Swabbing for a Cause
Iranians worldwide are registering as stem cell donors to increase ethnic diversity in donor registries — giving Iranian patients with blood cancers a better chance of finding a life-saving match. By uniting their global community, they seek to help Iranian patients find matches for transplants, emphasizing the importance of contributing to health equity.
Community Voices · Physician
Dr. Pegah Afhar — A Physician's Call to Action
Dr. Pegah Afhar urges Iranians worldwide to register as stem cell donors to help patients with blood cancers who struggle to find matches due to underrepresentation in registries. Healthy individuals can donate stem cells safely, and registration can provide life-saving opportunities for those in need.
@stemcells.unite
Farnaz on the Iranian Donor Gap
A direct message about why Iranian community members are needed on the stem cell registry.
@stemcells.unite
Attention All Iranians
A call to action for Iranian community members to join the stem cell donor registry.
@stemcells.unite
Why Ethnic Diversity Matters
Explaining why ethnic and ancestral background plays a critical role in stem cell donor matching.
Ready to Join the Registry?
Registration is free, takes minutes, and could save a life. Join through Canadian Blood Services today.
Community & Awareness Videos
Follow the Movement
General IDSL awareness content — cultural moments, community education, and campaign highlights.
@idslcanada
@idslcanada
@idslcanada
@stemcells.unite
Nowruz Mabarak
Celebrating Persian New Year while raising awareness for stem cell donor registration.
@stemcells.unite
Get Ready With Me
Community-style content raising awareness for the Iranian donor registry movement.
@stemcells.unite
Get Ready With Me — Part 2
Continuing the conversation about why representation on the registry matters.
@stemcells.unite
Iranian Men and the Registry
A community conversation encouraging Iranian men to consider joining the stem cell donor registry.
@stemcells.unite
Get Involved
A call to action for the Iranian community to learn more about donor registration.