In August, 20-year-old Emily was told the devastating news that her Acute Myeloid Leukaemia had returned. She was initially diagnosed last October after noticing unexplained bruises on her legs.
After intense treatment and a period of isolation, Emily rang the end of treatment bell at St James’ Hospital in July after receiving the all-clear from her doctors.
‘To get the all-clear and then for it to come back, it was just horrific,’ Kirstie, Emily’s mum says. ‘She was absolutely broken, and she is really, really scared.’
‘The thought of not being able to find a donor is unbearable.’
#Join4Emily
If you’re aged 16-30 you can give Emily, and others like her, hope for a second chance of life by joining the stem cell register.
Emily is now undergoing intense chemotherapy, but needs a stem cell donation from a stranger to save her life. We’re working with her family to appeal to people to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.
The issue we have is that we need people to sign up. They need to be between 16 and 30 and all they need to do is go on and register. Then they’ll get a pack sent out to them. It’s a mouth swab – that's all it is.
Even if it didn’t match Emily, it might match someone else who needs a transplant. People think it’s a major operation but it’s not, its just removing blood and then putting it back in.
Kirstie
You can also help to offer a patient just like Emily a second chance at life by donating money below.
Thank you. 💚
Make a donation
A gift of £5 a month helps build a stem cell register that gives everyone the best chance of survival.
A gift of £10 a month helps lifesaving transplants to happen – giving as many people like Emily as possible a second chance of life.
A gift of £15 a month could help pay for our umbilical cord collection programme – making little lifesavers of babies only minutes old!
£15 goes a long way to helping our scientists conduct ground-breaking research that will save lives over the next 50 years.
£40 could sign up a new lifesaving stem cell donor who could go on to save a life like Emily's.
£90 could pay for three hours of invaluable support from a post-transplant nurse for patients and families.