BMDP Hosts Free Family Storytelling Event for World Marrow Donor Day 2026

Families looking for something educational to do with their children this September can learn more about blood, marrow donation and helping others through a free interactive event at Woodlands Library.

The Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) will hold Olly’s Adventure to Hope: Storytelling & Mission Adventureon Saturday, 19 September 2026, ahead of World Marrow Donor Day on 22 September. The 90-minute programme combines simple hands-on activities with storytelling and is suitable for children aged five and above.

Complete three adventure missions

From 2pm to 3pm, children will receive an Adventure Passport and make their way through three activity stations.

The first introduces children to blood and the role it plays in keeping the body healthy. At the second station, a matching game helps explain why patients who require a marrow transplant need to find a suitably matched donor.

For their final mission, children can decorate a feather with a thank-you message for marrow donors before adding it to BMDP mascot Olly’s wings. Participants receive a stamp in their Adventure Passport after completing each activity, and the stations can be visited in any order.

Storytime with a haematologist and marrow donor

At 3pm, families can gather for a reading of Adam’s Adventure: Saving Sarah’s Smile, a children’s story centred on friendship, courage and community.

The session will be led by Dr Joanne Lee, a senior haematologist who is also a marrow donor herself. This gives families an opportunity to hear about marrow donation from someone familiar with both the medical process and the experience of being a donor.

Children who participate in the storytelling session will also receive a goodie bag.

BMDP mascot Olly will also be making an appearance during the afternoon for families who would like to take photographs.

Introducing children to marrow donation

The event forms part of BMDP’s activities for World Marrow Donor Day 2026 and Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

Rather than going deeply into the medical details, the programme uses games and storytelling to introduce younger children to concepts such as healthy blood, donor matching and why people choose to become marrow donors.

BMDP currently manages Singapore’s volunteer marrow donor register. According to the organisation, the registry has grown to more than 130,000 donors over the past 32 years and has facilitated more than 1,000 patient transplants.

Event details

Olly’s Adventure to Hope: Storytelling & Mission Adventure
Date: Saturday, 19 September 2026
Time: 2pm–3.30pm
Venue: Woodlands Library, Level 4
Suitable for: Children aged 5 and above
Admission: Free

For more information about the Bone Marrow Donor Programme, visit BMDP’s website.

Images: BMDP