Helping in a new way
Know more about this life-changing program
Watch this video for an overview about how we're providing faecal microbiota for transplant (FMT).
What we're doing
Your digestive system
When it's a problem
What we can do
What it involves
Let's take a closer look
Recurrent C. difficile is a serious bacterial infection within the gut. It happens in some patients who’ve had treatment with antibiotics, and it’s pervasive, debilitating, and can even be fatal
Life with recurrent C. difficile infection is devastating. People with it often can’t work or do any physical activity, so they can’t live normal lives. Treating it with antibiotics doesn’t work well and it often comes back. However, faecal microbiota transplants successfully treat recurrent C. difficile in 70–90% of people!
In 2018, around 2,700 people across Australia could have benefited from FMT for C. difficile. This life-changing statistic is one reason why Lifeblood believes it’s worth trialling how to get more of this effective treatment safely to patients.
We’ll provide Fiona Stanley and Fremantle hospitals in Perth, Western Australia with a reliable supply of faecal microbiota for transplant (FMT) to treat patients suffering from life-threatening recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, or recurrent C. difficile.
We also aim to partner with researchers, supplying a portion of the donations we collect to those studying whether FMT could be used to treat other conditions like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and even depression. There are plenty of studies currently happening in this space.
Your donation guide
To be a donor, you must be in the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area and be available to donate at our Perth Processing Centre in the CBD.
Just like our other donors, microbiota donors need to be screened to make sure that their donation is safe for the person receiving it. So, you’ll need to meet health and testing requirements too.
The screening requirements for donors are extremely thorough for patient safety, which means a lot of people don’t make it to donating, even if they’re generally healthy. So, if you do, you're pretty special: one of the handful of unique, life-giving microbiota donors in Australia.
Start by taking a quick quiz to check your eligibility. If you're eligible, you can register your interest.
Once that’s done, you'll get a call from a friendly and discreet staff member with some confirmation questions. They'll book you in for an appointment for the final stage of screening. You’re able to schedule in a time beforehand that aligns with your body's own schedule and ensures your privacy.
At every stage of the process, any personal and confidential information we gather from you is covered by privacy laws and our Lifeblood privacy policies, where you can download the privacy policy and consent form to review beforehand.
Donating takes place at a private, single-purpose area at Lifeblood’s Perth Processing Centre.
The donation toilet is a private, well-ventilated, soundproof, cosy room that is thoroughly cleaned to pristine condition after every visit. It’s not like a public toilet; this is as private and as hygienic as a toilet can get!
After a quick interview to make sure you’re OK to donate, you'll be given a donation kit and plenty of time to relax in a private sitting area to let nature take its course. Once you’re finished, one of our coordinators will collect the donation kit and you'll be on your way, knowing you've done something good for the day.
I have a medical condition and would this treatment help? How do I access it?
For this trial we’re providing a set amount of treatments only for patients with recurrent C. difficile at Fiona Stanley and Fremantle hospitals in Perth. If that’s you, talk to your doctor about being involved in the trial.
