Relay Run from Gothenburg to Lund Aims to Boost Stem Cell Donors

The relay involves seven runners and one driver in a support car, with the journey expected to take 30 to 35 hours. Participants will take short sleep breaks in the car during the event. According to SVT Skåne, Jacob Shishoo described the undertaking as nerve-wracking, highlighting the physical and logistical challenges of the continuous run. The organizers have not specified how many new donors they aim to register or detailed safety plans for the 30-35 hour effort, and it is unclear if any organizations or sponsors are supporting the relay. The relay run covers over 32 mil, which is approximately 320 kilometers, from Gothenburg to Lund. The initiative aims to get more people to register as donors in the Tobias Registry, a registry for voluntary stem cell donors.

Stem cell donation requires a perfect genetic match, according to official sources, making donor registries critical. The Tobias Registry reports that there are around 270,000 registered donors in Sweden, but one in three patients never finds a donor. This gap underscores the urgency of the relay's mission to expand the donor pool. According to SVT Skåne, Jacob Shishoo described the target demographic as fitting well within the registry's needs, suggesting the event could reach many potential donors.

Jacob Shishoo, a student from Lund according to major media reports, organized the relay with personal motivation. According to Aftonbladet, Jacob Shishoo described the run as a tribute to his mother, who passed away from leukemia, and emphasized the emotional toll of waiting for a donor. He also noted, according to Aftonbladet, that the participants are in the target group needed for the registry, aiming to inspire peers to register. The event blends athletic endurance with advocacy, seeking to turn personal loss into public benefit by addressing the critical shortage of stem cell donors in Sweden.