The family of 14-month-old Ronnie Manders are calling on the Isle of Wight community to join the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register as potential lifesavers, when we host a special recruitment event in the area on the 25 October.
Ronnie was diagnosed with JMML, an incredibly rare form of leukaemia, in July this year – for every million children under four diagnosed with leukaemia, just two or three will be have JMML. Doctors have told his family that a bone marrow transplant is Ronnie’s only hope of survival, and they are now working urgently with us to find Ronnie a match from their register of potential donors.
Mum Whitney, 25, says, “Although Ronnie is having chemotherapy, it will not cure him – it will simply buy us a bit more time in which to find the donor that he needs so much. Our struggle to find him that donor anywhere in the world has made us realise that more people need to sign up to the register, not just for our Ronnie but for everyone around the world who needs this gift of life. We also want to make pregnant women aware that there are a few hospitals around the UK where they can donate their umbilical cord blood. This cord blood can be used in bone marrow transplants or for research, and helps people like Ronnie where no matching donor can be found.”
We will be holding a special recruitment event from 3pm-7pm on Thursday 25 October at Sandown & Shanklin RFC on the Isle of Wight. We’re urging people to come forward to sign up to register, to see if they’re a match for someone like Ronnie. Anyone aged 16–30 is eligible to join.
For more information, please visit Ronnie’s Facebook page. Whitney adds, “Anthony Nolan needs funds so they can recruit more donors to their register, so if anyone is too old or can't donate for medical reasons, they can help us by donating money through our JustGiving link on the Facebook page or directly through the Anthony Nolan website. There will also be Rally for Ronnie wristbands for sale on the day of the event, with all proceeds going to Anthony Nolan.”
For more information about Anthony Nolan or to sign up online, please visit www.anthonynolan.org.
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