Today we release our moving new film about the kindness of strangers, together with our #ThankYouStranger campaign.
We want to highlight the vital role of strangers in saving the lives of people with blood cancer.
Watch the film below:
Visit our #ThankYouStranger page to find out more.
The heart-warming short film, available to view on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, features members of the general public and a bone marrow transplant patient, Simon Perkin.
It shows people talking about the kindest things strangers have done for them and that they have done for strangers. This includes helping a blind person cross a road and helping an elderly person carry a shopping bag.
How a stranger can save a life
It then ends with a touching message from Simon who explains that a stranger saved his life by donating stem cells to him.
He also says that he would not be alive today were it not for the doctors and nurses who looked after him while he was battling blood cancer and post-transplant complications.
The poignant stories of the British public’s selflessness highlight how small acts of generosity can make a person’s day or, in the case of the bone marrow transplant patient, can even save a life.
Simon's story
Simon was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia at the age of 26 and was told he was unlikely to reach his 50th birthday. Thanks to two bone marrow transplants, he is now in his 50th year and is looking forward to celebrating the milestone birthday in February.
He said: “I wouldn’t be here today if my very kind donor hadn’t come forward. What they did for me means everything. What more can I say?
“The transplant really was my last chance and I can’t say thank you enough. I am just so lucky that they were out there for me.”
The Kindness of Strangers
The film is designed to build on the success of our Kindness of Strangers campaign which launched earlier this year to mark the charity’s 40th anniversary.
The campaign saw us reveal the results of a poll which showed that Britons are more likely to help their pet than a man or a teenager.
The survey, which was conducted by YouGov, revealed that 79 per cent of people would be willing to help their pet if it was in danger but that only 56 per cent would help a man on his own or a teenager they did not know.
Anthony Nolan released the results as it announced that, after 40 years of appealing for bone marrow donors, more than three people every day are given a second chance at life, thanks to a generous stranger – but it’s still not enough.
Can you help save a life?
We need more selfless 16 to 30-year-olds to sign up to the register. People who are within this age range can join as long as they are generally in good health and they weigh more than 7st 12lbs.
Anthony Nolan is particularly seeking young men and people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds as these people are currently under-represented on the register.
Anthony Nolan’s Chief Executive, Henny Braund, said: “We can all be guilty of seeing a stranger in need and assuming someone else will help. But every day, three amazing donors give someone the chance of life by donating their stem cells, without knowing anything about the person they are helping. That is quite remarkable.”
She added: “What many people may not realise is that when it comes to saving a stranger with blood cancer, there is a very simple way to do something truly life-changing for another family.”
How you can help
If you're aged between 16–30 and in good health, you can join the register by clicking on the button below:
Every new donor on the register costs us £100. So by giving money, you're saving lives. Click on the button below to start:
