Page 2 - Testify 15 Oct 2020

2 15 - 30 October 2020

A patient who received a lifesaving donation from a stranger

By Imogen Dunn
Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is
diagnosed with blood cancer and the reg-
ister of stem cell donors – who are needed
to save thousands of patients’ lives – does
not currently meet the demand. Only 1 in 3
patients will find a donor match within their
family and so every year over 2,000 people
in the UK are left searching for a matching
blood stem cell donor each year.
Blood cancer patients from Black, Asian or
minority ethnicity groups face lower survival
odds due to the lack of donor diversity.
These patients have just a 20% chance of
finding the best possible stem cell donor
match, compared to 69% for northern Euro-
pean backgrounds.

This is due in part to the low numbers of
donors registered from those Black, Asian
or ethnic minority backgrounds. Donors
from minority ethnic backgrounds make up
just 13.1% of the UK stem cell register and
because Black, Asian or ethnic minority of cases, donations are made through bone
patients tend to have more varied tissue marrow collection. This is under general
– meaning there is an even more specific anaesthetic so that no pain is experienced.
biological requirement needed of a donor and serving in the Navy. It was whilst on
than for a white patient. deployment across the world
that he was urgently flown
The global pandemic has made this situa- back to the UK and shockingly
tion even worse. Only 2% of stem cell regis- diagnosed with acute lympho-
trations with DKMS came from black people blastic leukaemia (ALL).
during lockdown, falling by 20% compared
to the same time the previous year. Vaughn said: “Hearing the
diagnosis was the biggest
Vaughn Scott (34 years old) lives in blow I’ve ever heard. My mind
Bristol and is grateful to the gener- raced straight to my children
ous stranger who helped save his life. and partner. When we learnt
They’ve given him more time with his there was a way I could go
two children and the chance to marry into remission, I was excited
his now wife last summer in a beautiful that there was a way I could
ceremony. Vaughn was incredibly fit get better but very nervous
and active, playing all kinds of sports too. With no family members
as a match, all my faith was in
a complete stranger that may
have registered as a potential
stem cell donor. Thankfully
my match was found, I’m now
married and enjoying life with
my family and I’m so grate-
ful. So many people aren’t as
lucky as me. If you can, please
register and give other people
the second chance at life that I
have been given.”

About blood cancer
Blood cancer is the third most More than 4.2 million children were locked
common cause of cancer death
Testify in the UK but there is a lot of fear in poverty before coronavirus hit the UK.
is a newspaper around stem cell donation – of
published to provide news and the process itself and of having Now, more families in all our communities have
information which may affect the a ‘depleted’ supply of stem cells.
Christian community and service This isn’t the case. After dona- reached breaking point. But with your help we can
providers to the Christian sector.
tion, stem cells regenerate within change things.
For general enquiries, 2 weeks so the donor won’t lose
please contact us via anything. Blood stem cell dona- Please donate today and give vulnerable children a
tion is easy to do and similar to
website: blood donation. Around 90% of vital lifeline.
www.testifynewspaper.com all donations are made through

email: a method called peripheral blood
media@testifynewspaper.com stem cell (PBSC). In this method, Donate now at:
blood is taken from one of the
telephone: donor’s arms and a machine
020 3475 8554 actionforchildren.org.uk/lifeline
extracts the blood stem cells
address: from it. The donor’s blood is then
21 Orangery Lane, returned to them through their
London SE9 1HN other arm. This is an outpatient
procedure that is usually com-
pleted in 4-6 hours. In just 10% Registered charity nos. 1097940/SC038092.
Company no. 4764232. © Action for Children 2020. 1359.