Students encourage Londoners to become LonDONORS in campaign to save the lives of people with blood cancer.
Over a hundred student volunteers in universities across London are attempting to recruit hundreds of Londoners to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register this week as part of a charity campaign to recruit more young people to become potential lifesavers.
The week-long campaign, ‘Londonors’, is being spearheaded by ‘Marrow’, the name given to blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan’s student volunteer network, which operates in eight universities across the capital.
Marrow groups have been recruiting potential lifesavers to the Anthony Nolan register since 1998, and have recruited over 100,000 people since then. Marrow recruits account for over a quarter of all donors who donate their stem cells, meaning the student volunteers are a vital part of the work of Anthony Nolan.
The campaign seeks to highlight and celebrate the diversity of London, with a particular focus on recruiting people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.
People from BAME backgrounds are currently underrepresented on the stem cell register, meaning that it’s more difficult for patients from these backgrounds to find a donor with a matching tissue type.
Currently, only 60% of transplant recipients receive the best match, and this drops dramatically to around 20.5% (one in five of transplant recipients) if you’re from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background.
Olivier Namet, 33, joined the register when approached by a Marrow volunteer at Kings College London.
He said: “I was walking past my university campus, some people outside were recruiting. They stopped me but I said, “I’m gay, I can’t donate blood so I can’t do this”. The volunteers told me it didn’t matter at all, if you are a match everyone goes through the same testing. It surprised me so I said yes. It was great to treated as an equal person.”
Namet, a freelance video editor, added: “I was happy to be able to sign up, it always frustrated me that I couldn’t donate blood. I was just like, ‘Oh wow, these people will let me help if I can’ I was pleased and felt elevated.”
He continued: “I’m not sure why so few young men are signing up to the register. Maybe for me it was different, as I’m part of a smaller community and I thought joining would make a difference. When I was asked to join I felt really flattered because I’m not able to give blood. It felt nice that I could help other people without being stigmatised. Maybe other men don’t have that same feeling of being part of something that is normally not afforded to people like me. Normally I feel unappreciated and disqualified – Anthony Nolan is being reasonable in this regard.
“I would tell anyone thinking of singing up to the register that it’s definitely worth doing. Anthony Nolan doesn’t discriminate. It’s a life changing experience and so fascinating. I don’t think I can ever really fully understand that I’ve saved someone’s life. To have the ability to save someone’s life without really doing anything is amazing. It takes such a little effort to save someone’s life.
“I definitely think there is a feeling that gay and bisexual men cannot donate their stem cells because we cannot donate blood. Joining almost felt like an act of spite – I’m helping now even if you didn’t want me to before!
“I think encouraging more gay and bisexual men to join the register is all about exposure. It needs to be pitched in the right way – maybe, sticking it to the blood ban? It’s about working in conjunction with other charities/gay bars. It’s about getting the message out there – ‘we do not discriminate on the ground of sexuality’.’
“I received a card from my recipient about two or three months after I donated. He’s an adult male, living in America. I guess it doesn’t really matter who he is, or if we meet – even if we met, we might not even get along. It’s just that this crazy thing has happened. I guess it would be interesting to meet them if anything.”
Charlotte Cunliffe, Marrow Programme Lead at Anthony Nolan, concluded: “It is so important to address inequality on the stem cell register so that we are able to find a match for every person in need of a transplant. London is one of the most vibrant and diverse cities in the world, and provides the perfect opportunity to register a large number of potential donors, from a mix of backgrounds, heritages and communities.
“Next week, we hope to see hundreds of people sign up to become ‘Londonors’, ready to give a second chance to someone in desperate need.”
Anyone aged 16-30 and in relatively good health can join the Anthony Nolan register.
For more information about Anthony Nolan and the Londonors campaign, click here:
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