A student at Loughborough university is campaigning to recruit more potential donors to the Anthony Nolan bone marrow donor register, after he donated his stem cells in an attempt to save a stranger’s life.
Nick initially joined the Anthony Nolan bone marrow donor register in April 2012 following a talk at his school from a Register & Be A Lifesaver (R&Be) programme.
Our R&Be programme was set up to educate 16 -18 year old students about blood, organ and bone marrow donations. Since it launched in 2009, R&Be has reached more than 130,000 students.
More than 7,100 of those young people have signed up as potential bone marrow donors, 8,400 have registered as blood donors and 3,000 have joined the organ donor register.
After signing up, Nick was found to be a match for a stranger, and donated his bone marrow in April 2014.
“I was a bit apprehensive at first, not really knowing what it would involve but I’d never back out. It’s a fantastic opportunity to give someone that chance of life.”
Katie Day, Register & Be A Lifesaver Programme Lead at Anthony Nolan, says, “Nick has done an incredibly selfless thing and given someone with blood cancer their best chance at survival.
We are delighted that he has been inspired to encourage others to sign up as donors. We particularly need young men to join the register as they are the most likely to be chosen to donate.”
Because of Nick’s lifesaving actions, his grandparents Margaret and Barrie, decided to support Anthony Nolan as part of their diamond wedding anniversary celebrations.
By asking for donations towards our work instead of presents, they raised a fantastic £411.00. The happy couple celebrated their day with friends and family and recieved a card from the Queen.
How you can help
If you'd like to raise money for Anthony Nolan, you can get tips and advice here.
If you're aged between 16–30, you can join the register here.