Wanted – superhero stem cell donors

Nia Griffith MP has this week been out recruiting people to be on the stem cell donor register. Partaking in #CapevsCancer on behalf of the Anthony Nolan charity Nia Griffith MP donned a superhero cape and went down to local skateboard Park Ramps to look for young people to support the cause.

Founded in 1974, the Anthony Nolan charity has become a pioneer in the fight against blood cancer and helped save thousands of lives by establishing a bone marrow register. As it stands, the register currently matches more than 1,000 people a year giving those living with the various forms of blood cancer a fighting chance at survival.

However, the Anthony Nolan charity and Nia Griffith MP are calling on your help.

Every 20 minutes, a person is told they have a form of blood cancer and a transplant; whether it be a stem cell or bone marrow is their only hope. Currently, 500,000 adults in the UK are registered with Anthony Nolan but more help is needed. The charity, working with Nia Griffth MP and other MPs across the country is calling on younger potential donors in the 18-30 age range to sign up, be a match and save a life.

Details on how to be a superhero in your own right can be found on the Anthony Nolan website or on their Twitter page @anthonynolan.

Speaking on the issue, Nia Griffith MP stated “The inspiration for this campaign comes from my fellow MP John Woodcock who has asked all MPs to help recruit more people onto the stem cell donor register. He championed stem cell donation because a constituent of his, Alice Pyne from Ulverston, blogged a bucket list and top of her list was her wish to recruit more people to the donor register.

Alice suffered from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and couldn’t find a matching donor when she was still well enough to benefit from a stem cell transplant. Sadly Alice has now passed away, but the more people we recruit to the donor register, the better the chance of finding a match to treat other people who are suffering with blood cancers.”