TLR Foundation

01/06/2026

Wishing a very happy Pride Month to all our LGBTQIA+ friends and family. This month is about belonging. And there's one place everyone belongs: the Aussie stem cell donor registry.

Your stem cells don't care who you love, how you identify, or who you went home with last Saturday. They just know how to save a life.

For years, the only way to join the stem cell donor registry was through blood donation, which shut many in the community out. With cheek swabs, that barrier is gone.

If you're aged 17 to 35 you could be eligible to join. Signing up takes three minutes and a cheek swab kit will be mailed to your home. If you're ever matched, donating is similar to a long plasma donation. A few hours of your time could give someone a lifetime.

This Pride Month, do something that costs nothing and could mean everything.

https://tlr.org.au/lgbtqia-community/

28/05/2026

What a fabulous day. We rocked up to Blacktown Hospital with a bunch of cheek swab kits and a simple question: got a few minutes to hear how your stem cells could save a stranger’s life? And then let us take unflattering pictures while they swabbed their cheeks.

None of this happened without someone special. Elise is a TLR nursing scholarship recipient. She opened the doors, rallied her colleagues, and reminded us exactly why we do what we do.

Thank you to the entire Blacktown Hospital community for making World Blood Cancer Day so meaningful. You're all bloody legends!

28/05/2026

Today is World Blood Cancer Day, and there is something you can do to help. If you're aged 17 to 35, sign up to the Aussie stem cell donor registry. Perfect day to do it!

TLR had the pleasure of chatting with two stem cell donors about their experiences.

We asked Abbey what went through her head when she found out she'd be donating stem cells to her mum Maggie.

Her answer? "Let's do this."

No hesitation. No second thoughts. Just a daughter who knew what was at stake and stepped up.

Not everyone has a match in the family who can donate. That's where you come in. Be a legend. Like Abbey and Mitch.

Sign up here: https://stemcelldonors.org.au/about/partners/tlr-foundation/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbi8fjFmFEo

TLR was lucky enough to get two stem cell donors in the room to answer some questions. In this video, Mitch asks Abbey what went through her mind when she fo...

25/05/2026

Charles is 20 years old. He flew from Canberra to Sydney, had a cannula put in each arm, and sat in a chair for five hours donating his stem cells to a complete stranger.

He didn't even tell most of his friends he was doing it.

TLR had the pleasure of interviewing Charles while he was donating, which definitely helped pass the time.

Read his story here:

A stem cell donor story from 20 year old Charles. He donated to a stranger and had a lot to say about why the registry needs more diversity.

21/05/2026

TLR is ridiculously proud to announce our first Nurse Practitioner Scholarship recipient, Elise Toyer.

Elise is a haematology nurse at Blacktown Hospital, and she's building something special. She's already completed her Master of Cancer and Haematology Nursing. Now she's going further. She's a powerhouse!

This scholarship exists because of the people who fundraise for TLR through events like the City2Surf. Here's to many more.

Click here to read Elise's story here

Meet nurse practitioner scholarship recipient Elise Toyer. She's transforming haematology care at Blacktown Hospital with TLR's support.

19/05/2026

This week is National Volunteer Week where we give an additional shout out to the volunteers which enables TLR to make a difference. TLR is run entirely by volunteers, so this is extra special for us.
To our volunteers on the ground, you're the ones setting up tables, explaining what a stem cell donation is, answering the same question for the 40th time with the same energy you had the first time, and packing it all down at the end of the day. You're all awesome.

In the last week we've run two stem cell donor drives. One at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre, the other at the University of Sydney's Nursing School. The Nursing School drive brought in 53 signups in a single day. That's a TLR record and one we'll continue to celebrate.

To our fundraisers, none of this would be possible without you either. Every step taken and every dollar raised is deeply appreciated.

And to the board, you're all bloody amazing for everything you do.

What do we get out of it? A massive amount of joy every time a nurse is awarded a scholarship to become a leader in Cancer and Haematology care. And such a positive feeling of hope whenever someone signs up to be a stem cell donor, potentially saving a life.

Volunteers are at the heart of all we do and all we have achieved. Thank you everyone xx

Louise Sheehy Kathryn Viegas Neil Pennock Stanislav Tartakovski

11/05/2026

Today is for the nurses. The ones who show up, every single shift, for the people who need them most.

The ones who sit with a patient when a diagnosis turns their world upside down. Who explain what happens next with patience and kindness when nothing makes sense. Who remember the small things that make the biggest difference.

Nurses are genuinely incredible, and we don't say it enough.

At TLR, supporting nurses is at the heart of everything we do. Not because it sounds good on a page, but because we've seen firsthand the difference a great nurse makes in the life of someone being treated for a blood cancer.

We're beyond grateful for all you do and we're honoured to be able to help in the way we do. We're not stopping.

So today, and every day, we say thank you.

Happy International Nurses Day xx

08/05/2026

The City2Surf is selling out. Jogging spots are gone now too. Only walking spots left. Which, let's be honest, is most of the team.

Your fundraising helps nurses specialise in cancer and haematology care and recruits new stem cell donors. That's special. And worth every blister. I mean step.

Sign up here: https://tlr.org.au/city2surf-2026/

01/05/2026

Big news this week. The age range to sign up to the Aussie stem cell donor registry has changed, and you can now sign up from age 17.

This is a brilliant step forward. Younger donors often give patients a better transplant outcome, so opening the registry to 17 year olds means more matches, better outcomes, and more lives saved. You still can't donate until you turn 18, but signing up at 17 means you're ready the moment you're eligible.

To help spread the word, we enlisted some pretty special people. Our TLR Ambassadors have all signed up to the registry themselves, so they know exactly what they're talking about. Thank you to each of them for lending their voices, their faces, and their time to help us share this important message.

If you know someone aged 17 to 35, please share this with them. Every new sign-up brings someone closer to their match.

Aged 17 to 35? Sign up to be a stem cell donor.

26/04/2026

The 2026 City2Surf registrations are selling out. Serious running groups are all sold out, which is mostly irrelevant as Team TLR can best be described as people out on a Sunday walk to the beach.

That leaves the people who jog for a few hundred metres then take in the view, the walkers who are there for a wonderful social stroll, and the people who'll barely make it to the finish line but really want to help raise some money to help cancer and haematology nurses and to help us recruit more stem cell donors.

Whichever category you fall into, you'll be welcomed with open arms. After the finish line. When we've caught our breath.

Sign up instruction link here: https://tlr.org.au/city2surf-2026/