To mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month this September, Sue Webber MSP took part in an event in Parliament to celebrate the nation’s potential stem cell donors on the Anthony Nolan register and raise awareness of the urgent need to diversify the stem cell register.
This day was marked by Anthony Nolan on 22 September, as part of its Communities vs Blood Cancer campaign, which shines a spotlight on vital work being done to ensure that every patient in need of a stem cell transplant can find a lifesaving donor.
In total, more than 865,000 people in the UK are on the Anthony Nolan register, any of whom could be a match for someone with blood cancer or a blood disorder and be asked to donate their stem cells to give a patient a second chance of life.
Now, Sue Webber MSP is encouraging more people from the Lothian region, particularly men and people from minority ethnic backgrounds aged 16-30, to register as stem cell donors and help increase the chances 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 less than 18% of the register. There is also a need for more donors from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Sue Webber MSP said: “I am very proud to support Anthony Nolan and celebrate the nation’s potential lifesavers, any one of whom could offer someone with blood cancer a second chance of life. Registering to become a stem cell donor is straightforward and could make an enormous difference to someone with no other chance of a cure.”
