Since March 2012, Peter has been volunteering as a courier, transporting bone marrow (or stem cells) from donation centres to UK patients in need of a transplant. He is part of a team of 40 volunteer couriers who help Anthony Nolan transport and pick up stem cells from all over the world.
Peter tells us, ‘The furthest I have been is to Brisbane in Australia. The return journey from the hospital there to the Children’s Hospital at the Manchester Royal Infirmary took 37 hours. The journey included two lengthy flights, a long layover in Kuala Lumpur and then a train journey to Manchester, but the sense of satisfaction of handing over the stem cells, particularly as they were for a child, was immense – I slept very well that night!
‘I feel very privileged to be a courier. It is a responsible job and I take it very seriously. Firstly, I am a representative of Anthony Nolan which is an absolutely amazing charity to be involved with. Secondly I am acutely aware that Anthony Nolan is a charity and try to keep my expenses to a minimum, whether it is using public transport whenever I can or trying to keep well within my daily allowance. But I also try to make the most of my trips, whether in this country or abroad. Weather permitting, I try to go on long walks around the cities that I visit to get a flavour of the place and seek out galleries and museums.
‘I have done 47 pick-ups in about 64 weeks. Although I am 67, I am still working. As I am self-employed I am able to fit the trips around my working, social, cultural and charitable life. It is a wonderful mix and sometimes I feel that my feet don’t touch the ground, and that is just how I like it. I certainly hope that I can continue in a similar vein until I reach 75, when, sadly, my age will preclude me from courier duties. I am keeping my fingers crossed that by then the cut off age will have risen to 80. After all we are all living longer, healthier lives and we are as young as we feel!
‘I get huge satisfaction from all the volunteering activities that I am involved in with Anthony Nolan. Every time you pack a spit kit, every youngster who joins the register as a result of your talk, and every time you deliver a bag of stem cells, you know that you are helping to potentially saving a life.’
Peter is part of a team of 40 volunteers who collect stem cells from around the world for UK patients. Although Anthony Nolan is not currently recruiting courier volunteers,we are looking for volunteers to visit people who are donating in London and Sheffield hospitals.
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