MP CELEBRATES COMMUNITY’S EFFORTS TO CURE BLOOD CANCER

Published:

Categories: News

Argyll and Bute makes the top 20 in the UK for blood cancer donor register.
Residents in Argyll and Bute have been praised by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan for the people in their community who are registered as stem cell donors.

To mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month this September, Brendan O’Hara MP has revealed that Argyll and Bute is in the top 20 of the 650 constituencies across the UK for people on their register and he collected a certificate on behalf of the constituency from the charity at a reception last week (Wednesday 12 September) in Westminster.

This achievement is being celebrated by Anthony Nolan as part of its Communities vs Blood Cancer campaign which shines a spotlight on the vital work being done at a local level to ensure every patient in need of a stem cell transplant can find a lifesaving donor.

In Argyll and Bute, 2273 potential stem cell donors are registered with Anthony Nolan with 40% of these donors being male, and the average age of 34. In total, more than 700,000 people in the UK are on the Anthony Nolan register, any of whom could be a match for someone with blood cancer and asked to donate their stem cells to give a patient a second chance of life.

Now, Mr O’Hara is encouraging more people, particularly men aged 16-30 and people from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, to register as stem cell donors and make sure that a match is available for everyone in need of a transplant. While anyone on the register could be a match for someone with blood cancer, men aged 16-30 are most likely to be asked to donate. They provide more than 50% of donations yet make up just 16% of the register. There is also a shortage of donors from non-white and mixed-race backgrounds.

Mr O’Hara said MP said:

“I am very proud that Argyll and Bute has over 2000 people who have selflessly volunteered to give someone a second chance at life. Donating stem cells is straightforward but it could make an enormous difference to someone with no other chance of a cure. I strongly hope that more people from our community will be inspired to sign up and show that together, we can provide a cure for blood cancer. The Anthony Nolan charity have asked me to pass on their sincere thanks to those who have registered particularly the 174 individuals who have joined the list in the last 12 months.

Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, said:

“Since 1974 thousands of caring, selfless people have joined the Anthony Nolan register and thousands of lives have been saved as a result”.This Blood Cancer Awareness Month residents can be proud of all the lifesavers in your community. It’s wonderful to have the support of Argyll and Bute in achieving our goal of saving and improving the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders.”

For more information about the Community vs Blood Cancer campaign visit www.anthonynolan.org/communities

Anthony Nolan uses its register to match potential stem cell donors to blood cancer patients in desperate need of a stem cell transplant. It also carries out vital research to make stem cell transplants more successful, and supports patients through their transplant journeys.

-Ends-

For more information about the charity, please call the Anthony Nolan press office on 0207 424 1300 or email press@anthonynolan.org. For urgent out of hours media enquiries, call 07881 265 285.

anthony nolan congratulations certificate anthony nolan stats