Actor Nick Teo opens up about decision to donate stem cells: 'You could be someone's hope'

Donating your stem cells may seem scary to some people, but Nick Teo is here to dispel some myths with his own personal experience.

On Wednesday (Oct 21), the 37-year-old Mediacorp actor shared that he had donated his stem cells as part of a bone marrow donation to "someone (he) never even met" a while back.

"Signed up for a cheek swab because Hong Ling did it and wanted me to do it too… and I ended up saving someone’s life," wrote Teo.

According to his wife Hong Ling, 32, the couple did their cheek swabs about five years ago, when they learnt "how hard it can be to find a match".

"I know there are many rumours about bone marrow donation, including that it affects fertility. And here I am, about to start a family of my own," added Teo. "So I get why people might have concerns. But don’t let rumours stop you from finding out the facts."

The celebrity couple got married in 2023 and announced last month that they're expecting their first child.

In his video, Teo shared that he also had to give himself injections before the donation to increase the number of stem cells in his blood.

"Hong Ling helped me with my very first one. Not gonna lie, I was quite nervous at first. But after going through the whole process, I realised it wasn't as scary as I thought," wrote Teo, who managed to administer the second jab himself.

"The actual donation was a little like donating blood, taking about six hours of my life to give someone else a second chance at theirs. And to me, that was six hours well spent."

After taking a few days to recover, the actor was able to return to doing what he loves – acting. He even filmed fight scenes for Mediacorp drama In His Hands not long after.

While Teo admitted that he probably wouldn't have signed up if not for his wife, he's glad he went through with the donation.

"So if you’ve ever thought about signing up, maybe this is your little nudge. A simple swab could lead to something life-changing. You never know whose life you might save," he said.

Hong Ling also took to Instagram to applaud her husband, saying: "I'm super proud of you!"

His post struck a chord with netizens, including one who is waiting for a match themselves.

"As a patient who needs a bone marrow transplant, thank you so much for your donation. I will also be needing one in a few months, hoping a donor comes through," one user commented.