Dedicated to the memory of Nigel Sidebottom

This site is a tribute to Nigel Sidebottom. He is much loved and will always be remembered.

Nigel felt very strongly about spreading the knowledge of how important registering to donate stem calls is, the following text is from Nigel's latest LinkedIn Post.

Last year I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), a blood cancer that destroys the healthy blood cells created in your bone marrow. Chemotherapy treatment may extend life expectancy but the only cure is through a stem cell transplant (commonly known as a bone marrow transplant).

The stem cell transplant works by destroying all the cells (healthy and unhealthy alike) in your bone marrow and replenishing it with healthy blood cells from a donor - a risky procedure but the only chance of a cure for people with AML.

A very specific donor match is required. There is a global registry of stem cell donors but sadly there are not nearly enough people registered for all leukaemia patients to find a matching donor. Many AML (or other blood cancer) patients will die for the lack of a donor. In my case there was not a single match in the 30 million global donor data base. I am acutely aware of the need for more donors.

Stems cells can also be extracted from umbilical cords donated at birth. These cords are tissue typed and frozen and the data stored in a global data base. Adults need two matching cords for a successful transplant. I am fortunate that two cords in the USA which could be a good match for me have been identified.

Registering as a bone marrow donor is incredibly simple but so few people know about it. Anyone under 55 can register but younger donors provide the best outcomes.

There are two charitable organizations that operate donor programs in the UK. They are Anthony Nolan www.anthonynolan.org (donors under 35 only) and DKMS www.dkms.org.uk. Registration is incredibly simple. You fill in an online registration form. They will send you a kit to take a swab from the inside of your cheek which will provide the genetic data necessary for a match to be made. Both charities feed their data into a global data base as do similar organisations in other countries around the world. You only need to register once.

You may never be matched with a Leukaemia patient but if you are you will be contacted by the charity and will be given the opportunity to donate and save someone’s life! There is no obligation to donate. If you accept, after further health checks, you will be asked to go to a hospital where over the course of a few hours you will go through a process not unlike normal blood donation.

Both the websites have more information about the donation process. If you don’t want to be a donor please consider making a cash donation to these charities. They finance valuable research into improving treatments for blood cancers.

If you are expecting a baby please tell your hospital you would like to donate your cord.

Finally, treatment for AML involves a lot of blood transfusions without which I would have died months ago. I am enormously grateful for all those who are regular blood donors. You can register to be a blood donor through the NHS www.blood.co.uk.

We hope that any one any one who is eligible and willing to do so consider this donation to such an important cause.