Support for parents, family and friends

Seeking support

Thankfully, you can find help in lots of places, including charities and your network of friends and family, social services, and government benefits.

Nobody expects you to do things on your own – many people will be happy to support you. But you’ll need to find the confidence to ask for help when you need it.

If your sibling or another family member needs a transplant, you could be a match. You might be asked to take a test to see if you are. Even if you’re happy to donate your stem cells, it’s still important to know what’s involved. You’ll need to think about the impact it could have on you and your family in the future.

This section looks at the following and provides support and advice that will help you and the person having a transplant:

• Donating your stem cells to a relative
• My child is having a transplant
• My partner is having a transplant
• My friend is having a transplant
• Family Camp

We also have information and support for anyone who has lost a partner, family member or friend after a stem cell transplant in our Bereavement section.

If you have a query or question that isn’t covered here, the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) at your relative or friend’s hospital will be able to help. Alternatively, you could talk to our Patient Services team on 0303 303 0303 or patientinfo@anthonynolan.org

Raising awareness with Anthony Nolan

You might want to go one step further with your support for your family member or friend.

If so, we’re here to help, whether you want to:

• recruit new stem cell donors who could, perhaps, be a match for the person special to you – we call this a patient appeal
• raise lifesaving money to fund new donors
• raise awareness of the stem cell register with your friends and networks.