Celebrating the 501 potential lifesavers in Bolton South East

Thank you so much to the 501 people in Bolton South East who have registered with Anthony Nolan as stem cell donors.

The figure places the constituency in the bottom half of the UK (605 out of 650) in terms of the number of potential lifesavers registered in the area, so I am encouraging more people from Bolton South East, 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.  40 per cent of the community’s registered donors are male, and the average age is 34.  Young men aged 16-30 are the most likely to be asked to donate to give someone with blood cancer or a blood disorder a second chance at life.

These figures come from Anthony Nolan’s ‘Communities versus Blood Cancer’ campaign, which celebrates the people who have already registered as donors and raises awareness of the shortage of donors that still exists.  Young men and people from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds are underrepresented on the register, making it difficult to find a match for everyone in need.

In total, 645,000 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.

“I am very proud that Bolton South East has 501 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 Bolton will be inspired to sign up and show that together, our communities can provide a cure for blood cancer.”

Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, said:

“We’re grateful to all the registered donors in Bolton South East for helping us in our goal of saving and improving the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders.

“Anthony Nolan’s pioneering research, dedicated nurses and patient-focused services mean we have increased the support patients receive at every stage of their transplant journey -; but without the contribution of selfless donors, our vital work would be impossible.”

For more information about Anthony Nolan, visit www.anthonynolan.org