As students arrive at universities during September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, we're releasing announcing new statistics showing that ournetwork of student volunteer groups – known as Marrow - now recruit 1 in 5 people who go onto donate their stem cells or bone marrow.
Of the 444 Brits who donated their stem cells to an unrelated donor last year, an incredible 105 (23.6%) were recruited by a university Marrow group. That’s 105 lives potentially saved, thanks to these selfless students.
Marrow university groups were also responsible for recruiting 1 in 5 of all those who joined the Anthony Nolan register last year.
Find out more about Marrow at www.anthonynolan.org/marrow
How Marrow groups help us save lives
Around 2,000 people in the UK need a bone marrow transplant each year, this is usually their last chance of survival and we use its register to match potential bone marrow donors to blood cancer patients. Young people are most likely to be chosen to donate as they are less likely to have long-term health problems which might delay or prevent donation.
Marrow is a student volunteering group which works with us to recruit young potential donors and raise vital funds. Since it’s formation in 1997, Marrow has recruited nearly 67,000 potential donors nationally and nearly 700 of these volunteers have gone onto donate their bone marrow or stem cells to a stranger.
‘You can save lives and families while you’re at University. What other society can say that?’
Cardiff University student and newly appointed Cardiff Marrow president, Victoria Botting, is campaigning to recruit more potential donors to the bone marrow donor register after she received lifesaving bone marrow transplant herself through Anthony Nolan in 2002.
Victoria was diagnosed with blood cancer Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 1998, aged four. She underwent chemotherapy and was in remission in 2000. Unfortunately, she relapsed in 2001 and, this time, doctors told her family that she would need a bone marrow transplant to survive.
Victoria, now 20, says, ‘The happiness my donor has bought to me and my family and the fact that she has enabled me to live, experience everything that I have and even get to University is just amazing.
Victoria coming out of isolation following her transplant in 2002
‘I actually had the chance to meet my donor a few years ago and it was such a special day. What do you say to the person who saved your life? We just chatted about our experiences and still keep in touch.
‘I want to give something back and recruiting new potential donors with Marrow is the best way to do that. When people find out how easy it is to join the register and how simple the donation process is, they wonder why everyone isn’t signed up, but that’s where we come in.
‘It’s one of the most special societies you can join at university. With Marrow, you are helping to save not just individual with blood cancer, but their families too, like mine. What other society can offer that? Seeing the facts and figures shows the impact we have and we can’t wait to get going again this year.’
Victoria with her mum and sister
Charlotte Connolly, Marrow Programme Lead at Anthony Nolan, says, ‘What Marrow have achieved is fantastic as young people are most likely to be chosen to donate, so their work is key to helping us save more lives like we’ve done for Victoria. Whether it’s spreading the word, recruiting or fundraising, together they make such a big difference - it’s an incredible thing.’
Find out more and get involved
You can see a full list of Marrow groups here.
We are expanding our fantastic Marrow Programme into new Universities this term. We particularly would like to expand into Brunel, UEL and Kingston universities.
If you are a student and want to get involved then please get in touch with us on marrow@anthonynolan.org.uk
Follow Marrow on Twitter @UKMarrow
Like them on Facebook at facebook.com/UKMarrow