Siblings Jonni and Caroline Berger have been shortlisted for the BAME Advocate of the Year Award at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards 2013. The Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards recognise outstanding individuals who have contributed to the blood cancer charity over the last year.
Earlier this year, Jonni and Caroline launched a campaign to recruit more Jewish donors to Anthony Nolan’s register when they were told that their mother, Sharon, needed a bone marrow transplant. They appealed to the Jewish media and twitter community using the hashtag #Spit4Mum. In the first four months of 2013, over 1,000 Jewish people joined the Anthony Nolan register compared with only 100 during the same period in 2012.
Sharon was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and was told that she needed an urgent bone marrow transplant to survive. Finding a matching donor was more difficult for Sharon because Jewish people are under-represented on the bone marrow donor register and a donor is most likely to be someone with the same ethnic background as the recipient. Sharon had a bone marrow transplant in July and is recovering well.
Caroline says, “I'm very proud to have been nominated and it is humbling that the campaign has been recognised. I think the award should go to my mum who has bravely tackled blood cancer for the past year. I only hope that the campaign helps find matches for other people facing a similar situation. Without the incredible work that Anthony Nolan does, my mum wouldn't have found the hero who saved her life. There is a Jewish saying that 'to save one life is as if you have saved the world'. That is what Anthony Nolan means to me.”
Jonni adds, “I am pleased to have been able to increase the number of Jewish donors on the register as well as to have raised awareness about the lack of minority ethnic donors on the stem cell register through our #Spit4Mum campaign. Whilst the initial aim was to help my Mum Sharon, who thankfully had a stem cell transplant recently, there is also the satisfaction that I have significantly increased the number of potential donors on the register for everyone in need of a lifesaving transplant in the future.”
Henny Braund, Chief Executive at Anthony Nolan, says, “Jonni and Caroline’s campaign to recruit more Jewish donors to the register has been a huge success and has had a considerable impact on the number of Jewish donors joining the register. We were all so pleased when we heard that their mother, Sharon, had found a donor for her bone marrow transplant. Raising awareness is key to recruiting more donors and it is down to the hard work of supporters like Jonni and Caroline that we are able to help provide lifesaving transplants for people like Sharon.”
The awards ceremony takes place on 4th November in the House of Commons and winners will be announced at the event. Jonni and Caroline and parents Sharon and Stephen will be attending the event.