Tom Arthur MSP has welcomed the rise in the number of potential stem cell donors in his constituency of Renfrewshire South.
Figures released as part of Anthony Nolan’s Communities vs Blood Cancer campaign reveal that In Renfrewshire South, 917 potential stem cell donors are registered, with 92 added in the last year. 22% of these donors are men aged 16-30, and the average age of donors is 36. This project shines a spotlight on vital work being done locally to ensure that every patient in need of a stem cell transplant can find a lifesaving donor.
In Renfrewshire South, 917 potential stem cell donors are registered with Anthony Nolan, with 92 added in the last year. 22% of these donors are men aged 16-30, and the average age of donors is 36.
In total, more than 760,000 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, Tom Arthur MSP is encouraging more people in his constituency 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 18% of the register. There is also a shortage of donors from non-white and mixed-race backgrounds.
To mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month in September, Anthony Nolan hosted a reception at the Scottish Parliament with representatives of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), including Ally Boyle.
Ally initiated a groundbreaking partnership with Anthony Nolan in 2009, while he was Area Commander of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, after being diagnosed with myelodysplasia (a type of blood cancer). They have recruited thousands of lifesavers to the register, predominantly through their innovative SFRS Education Programme, which sees SFRS volunteers deliver inspiring educational presentations about stem cell, blood and organ donation to 16- to 18- year-olds across Scotland.
Commenting, Tom Arthur MSP said:
“I am very proud that Renfrewshire South has 917 registered donors, any one of whom could offer the only chance of giving someone with blood cancer 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 would especially like to commend the great work of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in engaging local communities, particularly secondary schools across Scotland. They’ve recruited more than fifty people who have gone on to donate. Their steadfast commitment over the past ten years has had a truly lifesaving impact.”
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, added:
“In the last year 92 selfless people from Renfrewshire South joined the Anthony Nolan register, each one representing hope for patients with blood cancer, and blood disorders, in need of matching stem cell donors.“Residents can be proud of all the lifesavers in your community. To everyone from the local area who has taken the decision to join the register, thank you. We rely on young people aged 16-30 joining the register now to save lives in the future. Without you, there is no cure.”