Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has joined the charity Anthony Nolan to celebrate the potential lifesavers in the Clacton constituency.
At a reception on 12th September, held in Westminster to mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Giles heard about the 457 local stem cell donors who are currently on the Anthony Nolan register. Giles was also able to lend his support to Anthony Nolan’s ‘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 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, Giles is encouraging more people from the Clacton constituency to register as stem cell donors and make sure that a match is available for everyone in need of a transplant.
Moreover, 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 national shortage of donors from non-white and mixed-race backgrounds.
Giles said
“I am very proud that Clacton has 457 people who have selflessly volunteered to give someone a second chance at life. But we can do better! Donating stem cells is straightforward and 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.”
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 Clacton in achieving our goal of saving and improving the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders.”