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

The 37-year-old Mediacorp actor, Nick Teo, shared his personal experience of donating stem cells to a stranger he never met. Teo revealed that he and his wife, Hong Ling, underwent the required cheek swab five years ago when they learned how difficult it is to find a match. Teo explained that donating stem cells may seem scary to some, but he wanted to dispel some myths with his own experience.

He wrote that he signed up for the cheek swab because his wife did it and wanted him to do it too, and he ended up saving someone's life. According to his wife, the couple did their cheek swabs about five years ago when they learned how hard it can be to find a match. Teo added that he had to give himself injections to increase the number of stem cells in his blood before the donation.

The actual donation was similar to donating blood, taking about six hours of his life to give someone else a second chance. After a few days of recovery, Teo returned to acting and even filmed fight scenes for a Mediacorp drama. He encouraged others to consider signing up for stem cell donation, stating that a simple swab could lead to something life-changing.

Hong Ling also praised her husband on Instagram, saying she was proud of him. The post resonated with netizens, including a patient who needs a bone marrow transplant and thanked Teo for his donation.