07/04/2026
How do you measure the life of a person? In minutes, hours, days? Or in the countless lives they have touched and saved?
Today marks 100 years since the birth of Jon van Rood, our founder, and the scientist whose discovery of HLA transformed the future of medicine.
Jon’s life unfolded during a century of extraordinary scientific progress: the discovery of Penicillin, the development of vaccines, and the identification of DNA. Yet among these milestones, his work stands out. By uncovering the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, Jon reshaped transplantation and revolutionised the treatment of blood cancers and disorders.
In the 1950s, whilst Jon was working at Leiden University Medical Center, children diagnosed with Leukaemia often survived only months. Today, in high-income countries, survival rates for children can reach 90%. That transformation is part of Jon’s legacy.
Though Jon was never one to consider the work finished. A pioneer with a global vision, he understood that scientific breakthroughs alone were not enough. At the time, unrelated donor transplantation was becoming a clinical reality though major challenges remained. Finding a suitable match was, and still is, one of the most critical. National registries emerged, yet each lacked the diversity needed to serve all patients. Jon’s solution was visionary: a global network. Therefore, he created Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW), a bold step toward connecting patients and donors across borders.
Today, 57 countries use the evolved BMDW (now known as WMDA's Search & Match Service), an enduring testament to his idea that collaboration saves lives. And his legacy continues to guide the World Marrow Donor Association in expanding access, so that every patient, everywhere, has a chance at a cure.
It has been nearly nine years since Jon passed away. Yet his presence is felt every day. We often reflect on what he might think of the world he helped shape: more than 44 million voluntary stem cell donors worldwide, and over 28,000 patients each year given a second chance at life through global donor matching.
And that is only part of his legacy. Jon also founded Stichting Matchis, Eurotransplant, and The EBMT. Institutions that continue to save and improve lives every day.
This morning, we shared memories of Jon, stories of his vision, his determination, and the profound impact he had on each of us. So many of us owe him more than we can ever fully express. We invite you to remember Jon today and share your memories of him or how he has touched your life.
Happy 100th birthday, Jon.
