Residents in York Central have been praised by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan for the people in their community who are registered as stem cell donors.
To mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month this September, Rachael Maskell MP has revealed that York Central is 2nd in the Yorkshire and Humber region for having the most stem cell donors on the register. Ms Maskell collected a certificate on behalf of York Central as part of this September’s Blood Cancer Awareness Month.
This achievement is being celebrated by Anthony Nolan as part of its 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.
The COVID-19 pandemic has constricted the charity’s ability to recruit new donors, making this year’s Awareness month more pertinent than ever.
In York Central, 2,039 potential stem cell donors are registered with Anthony Nolan. 29% of these donors are male, and the average age is 32.
In total, more than 800,000 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.
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 shortage of donors from non-white and mixed-race backgrounds.
Rachael Maskell MP says:
“I am very proud that there are 2,039 people in York Central who have selflessly volunteered to give someone a second chance at life. Donating stem cells is easy to do and can make a massive difference to someone with no other chance of a cure.
“I 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. There is a real need for more men to sign up, particularly aged between 18-30 as they provide more than 50% of donations but only make up 16% of the national register.”
For more information about the Community vs Blood Cancer campaign visit www.anthonynolan.org/communities
Anthony Nolan uses its register to match potential stem cell donors to blood cancer patients in desperate need of a stem cell transplant. It also carries out vital research to make stem cell transplants more successful, and supports patients through their transplant journeys.