A stem cell donor campaign for Rowan Tong-Law, who was living with his family in Bardon when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, has reached Suncorp Stadium as his search for a full donor match continues.
Register for Rowan held a donor registration drive at Suncorp Stadium on 8 August 2026 during the Dolphins and Broncos clash, bringing the campaign into one of Brisbane’s biggest sporting settings.
Volunteers helped people register as potential donors, with the Dolphins, Brisbane Broncos and Stem Cell Donors Australia involved in the event. The Dolphins assisted with planning and promotion and also contacted members about the opportunity to join the registry.
After the event, Register for Rowan thanked the volunteers, people who registered and those who helped spread the campaign message.
Despite the growing response around him, Rowan is still waiting for the full stem cell match needed for his transplant. His teammates at the University of Queensland have also supported donor drives, while his mother Bronwyn Tong has helped recruit potential donors at Suncorp Stadium.
A Diagnosis Without Warning In Bardon
The campaign stems from a diagnosis that came unexpectedly for Rowan.
In September 2024, the then first-year University of Queensland physiotherapy student underwent a routine blood test while taking medication for acne. He had shown no obvious symptoms before acute myeloid leukaemia was detected.
Rowan, the youngest of three siblings, had finished at Brisbane Grammar School in 2023, where he had been a prefect and involved in rugby, music and volleyball as both a player and coach. After beginning university, he continued returning to the school to tutor students.
His friendships became an important part of his support network during treatment. When chemotherapy meant he would lose his hair, 17 friends shaved their heads alongside him.
Five rounds of chemotherapy followed, along with complications including infection and periods in hospital.
Rowan later worked to regain some of his usual routine. He studied through the summer to make up for university time lost during treatment and resumed physiotherapy with his cohort in 2025. He also became involved with UQ Rugby and returned to netball and touch rugby.
Search For A Full Stem Cell Match
By March 2025, doctors had determined that chemotherapy had not succeeded and that Rowan would need a stem cell transplant.
His older brother and sister were found to be 50 per cent matches, leaving the family searching for a full match.
Rowan’s mother has Chinese heritage and his father has Scottish and English heritage. A donor with similar Eurasian heritage is considered the most likely prospect for a compatible match.
The family’s search soon drew on communities Rowan already knew through school, university and sport.
After he spoke at Brisbane Grammar on 21 March 2025, registrations with Stem Cell Donors Australia increased from a usual 200 to 300 a month to about 1,300, with 1,200 registrations occurring after the speech.
By December 2025, about 3,000 young people had joined the Australian Stem Cell Donor Registry after hearing Rowan’s story. Eight had already been identified as potential donors for patients elsewhere in the world, although a full match for Rowan had still not been found.
His parents also took the campaign into schools and developed links with donor organisations overseas. At Ipswich Grammar School, 44 eligible students joined the registry during one visit.
Rowan’s Search Continues Beyond Bardon
The Suncorp Stadium event represents the latest stage of a campaign that has moved through Rowan’s school, university and sporting circles while his own donor search remains unresolved.
The need extends beyond Rowan. In August 2026, 248 people in Queensland were reported to be searching for a donor, with 1,300 people waiting nationally.
Potential donors can begin the registration process with a cheek swab. Those identified as possible matches can undergo further assessment before donating stem cells, with the donation process generally compared with an extended blood donation.
For Rowan and his family, the search that followed an unexpected diagnosis while they were living in Bardon has now reached communities across Brisbane, while the search for his own full match continues.
Published 11-August-2026
