There Is No Match for Rowan. Yet.

Could it be you?

Join a global campaign to close the stem cell donor gap for mixed-heritage individuals. Rowan’s life is in the balance and the system needs more people like you.

Meet Rowan.

Rowan Tong-Law is 19 years old, studying physiotherapy at university, and lives in Australia. 

He’s a rugby player, music lover, friend, and someone with both Chinese and Scottish-English roots.

In September 2024, Rowan was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a rare and aggressive blood cancer. Six months of intensive chemotherapy, hospitalisation, and complications followed. But the treatment was not enough.

His only chance of survival now is a stem cell transplant.
But so far, no match has been found.

Not in Australia.
Not in Hong Kong.
Not even on the global registry.

Why?
Because Rowan is mixed-heritage.
And that makes his genetic profile rare.

Stem cell matching depends on something called HLA markers.
It’s an immune system signature you inherit from both parents.

For individuals with blended backgrounds, the chances of finding a full match are significantly lower. And unless that changes, many like us will keep falling through the cracks.

As a child of a Chinese mother and a Scottish-English father, Rowan’s best chance is likely someone with a similar Eurasian background.

Rowan’s story is personal, but it’s not just about him.

It’s a signal that our global healthcare systems aren’t yet built for a multicultural world.

And that needs to change.

Why is it so difficult for someone like Rowan to find a donor?

The reason Rowan cannot find a match isn’t luck. It’s the result of a system that was never designed for people like him.

Stem cell transplants rely on something called HLA typing, short for Human Leukocyte Antigen. It’s your immune system’s way of recognising what belongs in your body and what does not. To avoid rejection, donors need to match as many HLA markers as possible with the patient.

But HLA is inherited, and that’s where things get complicated. For someone with parents from different cultural or ancestral backgrounds, their HLA combination becomes harder to match through existing systems.

It’s not just rare, it may not exist at all in current registries.

In fact:

  • Studies show that 75% of white European patients find a full match on global registries.

  • For genetically diverse patients, that chance can fall below 20%, or in some cases, under 5%

  • Even today, less than 5% of registry entries worldwide come from people of genetically diverse backgrounds.

  • Many registry systems still force donors to choose a single race, ignoring the genetic complexity of multicultural people. This creates blind spots and missed matches.

  • And despite decades of research, even the largest registries in the UK, US, and Asia-Pacific continue to show consistently low recruitment from underrepresented groups.

The result? People like Rowan wait longer. Some never find a match.

And not because one does not exist, but because that person was never reached, never registered, or never counted properly in the system. This is not just a personal health crisis. It’s a systemic failure and a wake-up call for medical systems, educational institutions, and policy leaders.

As our societies become more diverse, genetic medicine has to evolve with us. The only way to do that is by making sure our registries reflect the people they claim to serve. We cannot change Rowan’s ancestry, but we can change the system that failed to include it.

Read More:

You could be the match or help find one.

Maybe you’re the match Rowan’s waiting for.

Or maybe someone in your network is… a friend, a cousin, a classmate.

The truth is, most people don’t realise they could save a life just by registering.

If you’re between 17 and 35 and in good health, 
you’re likely eligible to register as a stem cell donor for Rowan.

If you fall outside of the age bracket, you could still be the hope for someone else.

Even if you’re not eligible or Eurasian, you can still make a real difference
by sharing Rowan’s story, hosting a drive, or helping us reach communities
that registries have historically overlooked.

We’ve made it easy to take action, wherever you are in the world:

Take Action Today

  • Join the Register

    The most powerful thing you can do.

    Registries around the world are interconnected through a global system. That means a donor in the UK could save a patient in Australia, and vice versa.

    Representation gaps remain a global problem. Even major registries like WMDA, Be The Match, and Anthony Nolan still underrepresent mixed and minority donors. Your sample matters more than you think.

    🇭🇰 Hong Kong: Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service
    🇸🇬 Singapore: Bone Marrow Donor Programme
    🇬🇧 UK: Anthony Nolan Trust
    🇦🇺 Australia: Stem Cell Donors Australia
    🇺🇸 USA: NMDP SM (formerly Be The Match®)
    🌏 Elsewhere: Swab The World (Global Platform)

  • Spread the Word

    Your voice is more powerful than you think.

    If you have a phone, you have a platform, and that means you can help save lives.

    You can repost this campaign, share Rowan’s story, or forward our toolkit to your colleagues, family, social clubs, or universities. Every message sent increases the chance of finding a match.

    We’ve made it easy with a Digital Support Toolkit, which includes:

          - Pre-written captions for Instagram, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn

          - Story graphics, reels, and posters

          - FAQs and myth-busting content

          - Explainer decks for clubs or teachers

    Request it via email: samhodgett@eurasiansociety.com

  • Attend a Drive or Event

    Be part of something real and bring others with you.

    The Eurasian Society is hosting an awareness event in September with support from the Hong Kong Red Cross and local allies. Together, we are building a movement across Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK, and beyond.

    Whether you offer a sample, volunteer, or support from the sidelines, your presence counts.

          - Perfect to invite your colleagues, classmates and friends

          - Real-time updates on @eurasiansociety (IG, FB, LinkedIn)

          - Want to bring this to your space? See “Host a Drive” next

    Every event is a chance to change what’s possible.

  • Host a Drive or Invite Us to Speak

    Help your community take action, we’ll make it easy.

    We support universities, clubs, churches, and workplaces that want to get involved but do not know where to start.

    Whether you're planning a swab drive, a fundraiser, or a guest talk, we’ll walk you through every step.

    - Organiser kits, visuals, and talking points included

    - Flexible scheduling and remote support available

    - We can also speak at assemblies or awareness events

    Email samhodgett@eurasiansociety.com to get started.

    Bring the mission closer to home and give someone else a better shot at life.

Every action, share, and step matters.

Together, we can build a future where no one is invisible in the system and

every one of us has a fair chance to survive.

 What You Might Be Wondering

Real questions from people like you, answered with care and clarity.

  • Yes and your registration is urgently needed.

    Mixed-heritage donors are some of the most underrepresented in global stem cell registries.

    That means people like you are harder to find and more needed than ever.

    Even if you are not Rowan’s match, you could be the only viable match for someone else facing the same impossible odds.

    Registering does not just help one person; it builds a fairer system for everyone with mixed ancestry.

  • Actually, most donors are strangers, and that is what saves lives.

    While it seems like family would be the best match, science says otherwise. Over 70% of patients find their stem cell donor through the public registry, not from relatives.

    Rowan’s siblings, for example, are only a 50% match, and that is not enough. A half-match means the immune systems are still too different, which raises the risk of serious complications like graft-versus-host disease (where the new immune system might attack the patient’s body) or transplant failure. For someone already fighting a disease like leukaemia, a close HLA match is not just preferred, it is essential to survive.

    His best chance is a match from someone he has likely never even met… someone who just happens to share his immune fingerprint.

    That could be you.

    You do not need to be family to be a lifesaver.

    You just need to be on the register.

  • No and it is probably much easier than you think.

    There are two ways to donate:

    • 90% of the time, it is like giving blood. You sit in a chair, fully awake. Your blood is passed through a machine that collects the stem cells.

    • In rare cases, a small amount of marrow is taken from your hip under anaesthesia. You do not feel anything during the procedure, and most people recover in just a few days.

  • No, you can register from wherever you are in the world.

    This is a global issue with a global solution.

    Stem cell registries in most countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, and Singapore are connected through the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA).

    That means:

    • A match in the UK could help a patient in Hong Kong

    • A donor in Singapore could save someone in Australia

    Wherever you live, your registration still counts and could be the one that saves a life.

  • Because the registry system does not work unless everyone takes part.

    While this campaign centres Rowan’s story, it speaks to a much bigger gap in global medicine.

    Mixed-heritage individuals, and many others from underrepresented groups, are often left out of registries. But:

    • Your registration helps fix a broken system

    • You could be a match for someone else, anywhere in the world

    • You show solidarity where it counts: in action, not just words

    This is not just about identity. It is about fairness, and who we include when it matters most.

  • If you're between 18 and 35, you're in the sweet spot for Rowan.

    Most stem cell registries only accept donors in this age range because younger donors lead to better outcomes for patients. That said, in Hong Kong you’re eligible from 18 up to 50 years old. Even if you're older, you can still be part of this life-saving mission:

    • Share the campaign

    • Host a drive or event

    • Donate to help register younger donors

    Not everyone can give a sample, but everyone can help.

  • Rowan and his family keep full rights and full control of his story.

    Every post, photo, and quote is shared with their consent. Nothing goes public without family approval.

    If you're a journalist, event organiser, or partner, here’s what that means:

    • All content is pre-approved by Rowan’s family

    • The Eurasian Society works directly with them on every update

    • Please credit both the family and the campaign in any public use

    • If you’d like to use Rowan’s words or photo, just ask and we’ll coordinate approval

    Consent is not just a legal step. It is a matter of trust, dignity, and shared ownership.

  • Yes. Your data is safe, and it is not a DNA ancestry test.

    Your swab is only used to check your HLA type, a set of immune markers that help match donors to patients.

    It is not analysed for health risks, family history, or anything else.

    Registries follow strict data protection laws and never sell your information.

    You remain anonymous to any recipient unless both sides choose to connect later.

A Global Effort to Save Rowan

This is not just a local story.

Rowan’s fight has sparked a growing global movement,
from school halls in Brisbane, to WhatsApp threads in Hong Kong,
and Instagram feeds across the UK and Singapore.

Together, we are rallying around a shared mission: registering, sharing, hosting events, and standing in solidarity with people of diverse and underrepresented heritage who deserve an equal chance at life.

Partners making this possible

  • SCDA (Stem Cell Donors Australia): Leading outreach and match coordination in Australia, Rowan’s home country.

  • Swab The World: Global ally for diverse donor advocacy and outreach across 70+ countries through registry guides and fundraising support.

  • Brisbane Grammar School: Rowan’s school community of students, teachers, and friends, leading awareness and swab drives in Queensland.

  • Eurasian Society (Hong Kong): Coordinating the international campaign for mixed-heritage people, equality messaging, and regional activation supported by Red Cross Hong Kong.

  • Friends, musicians, teachers, and strangers: Standing together across continents

Where action is already happening

  • Hong Kong: In talks with Red Cross and partners for awareness events and potentially support donor referrals.

  • Australia: Partnering with SCDA, Brisbane schools, and local media

  • Other Regions: Even if you live somewhere without a registry, you can still support, host an event, spread the word via social media and WhatsApp, or help fund outreach.

Whether you are in London or Melbourne, Singapore or New York, your support can help Rowan or someone just like him.

Why This Works Across Borders

  • Every country has its own registry, but they all connect. If you register in London, you might save someone in Sydney.

  • Standard donation protocols apply globally. Most donors give through a simple blood-based process (PBSC), supported worldwide.

  • Campaign content is aligned and medically verified. All calls to action point to official national registry websites, not third-party sign-ups.

  • You do not have to be from Rowan’s community to help. Every person in the global registry increases the chance for someone, somewhere.

Explore how to register
in your country

Visit the Swab the World’s registry guide.

This campaign is not just about one person. It is about reshaping the future of global medicine so that everyone, no matter their background, has a fighting chance.

Your immune system might be the key to saving someone’s life, even if you’ve never met. That’s what makes this global.

Supported by the Eurasian Society.

The Register for Rowan campaign is supported by the Eurasian Society, a Hong Kong-based nonprofit, built by and for people of mixed roots and multicultural identities across Asia and beyond.

Our mission is simple: to promote awareness, education, and opportunity for multicultural individuals who often fall between the lines… in society, in systems, and in healthcare.

We support people navigating blended heritage, multinational identity, and underrepresented medical needs.

Essentially, we make sure that people of multicultural backgrounds are seen, supported, and not left behind.

We are one of the few organisations globally doing this work from the inside out, driven by lived experience, multilingual teams, and deep community ties.

We understand the beauty and the complexity of coming from more than one culture. Whether through public health, equality messaging, or community-building, our goal is simple: to ensure that genetically diverse individuals are not just included, but understood.

This campaign is more than advocacy. It’s personal.

Despite the advances in medicine and technology, the global health system still fails people like Rowan and us. That is why we exist.

Since 2021, we’ve been building a cross-border community rooted in lived experience, working to transform identity into impact through education, advocacy, and opportunity. Whether you’re of mixed heritage, part of a blended family, or simply believe in justice, you are welcome here.

We are proud to be leading this campaign not just as advocates in Hong Kong, but as people with skin in the game.

Rowan’s story is close to home. And so is the fight for a world where multicultural lives are no longer medically overlooked.

Learn more about our mission or get in touch.

Need Help or
Want to Get Involved?

You do not have to do this alone.

Whether you're registering for the first time, unsure where to start, or just want to help spread the word, our team is here to support you.

We are a global, community-powered movement.

Every question matters. Every message counts.

  • Whether you’re a school, a potential partner, or someone who needs help registering, our inbox is always open.

  • For event questions, or anything you're unsure about

    Message us at +852 5598 5855

  • Follow and share updates from the campaign:

  • 1603, Nam Wo Hong Building

    148 Wing Lok Street

    Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

  • We offer various support for:

    • Schools, clubs, universities

    • NGOs or community centres

    • Faith groups or private events

    Reach out to sam.hodgett@eurasiansociety.com to request more information.

  • Tag us @eurasiansociety and @registerforrowan + use the hashtag #RegisterForRowan so we can highlight your message and keep the movement growing.

You do not have to be Rowan’s match to help change his odds.
Or someone else’s.

This is not just about saving one life.
It is about closing the gap… for good.

People of diverse backgrounds are underrepresented
on every registry, in every country.
And that silence costs lives.

By joining the stem cell register, by sharing this story,
by inviting your school or work, your friends, your community,
you are helping to rewrite that story.

So whether you are here for Rowan,
or for someone you may never meet,
thank you.

Because every person who signs up, every person who shares,
makes it less likely that someone like us is left behind again.

Change begins when more of us are included.
Hope starts when all of us take action.

Register Now

Join the stem cell donor list in your country.

or help us to

Donate to Rowan’s Campaign

We help get you in touch with Rowan’s direct support group to reach more
schools, communities, and potential matches.

Volunteer or Share

Bring this to your group chat, campus, workplace, or host an event.
Learn more and speak to our team.