Essex man urges people to join blood stem cell register after registrations halve
Patrick donated stem cells when he was 25
A charity is urging more people in Essex to join the blood stem cell register, after registrations nearly halved across the county in 2021 compared to 2020.
Blood cancer charity DKMS says the pandemic had a devastating impact on the number of people signing-up to donate.
In Essex, 11,967 joined the register in 2020, whilst in 2021 just 6732 signed up. DKMS say Essex's numbers follow a national trend, with just over a third (37%) of the number of people in the UK registering in the first 3 months of this year compared to last Spring.
Currently, just 3% of the UK’s population are registered as potential donors, yet over 2,000 people each year in the UK require a blood stem cell transplant.
A stem cell transplant can be the last chance of survival for patients with blood cancer, but it's a little more complicated than that - the blood stem cell donation must be from a genetically similar person.
Some will be able to find a matching donor within their own family, however only 1 in 4 people manage this, meaning many in need of a blood stem cell transplant rely on the kindness of a stranger.
29 year old Patrick Cannon, from Leigh on Sea, donated stem cells to a stranger when he was 25.
He learnt about the process after a friend's young daughter was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and the football team he played for hosted a charity football match in her honour.
He says everyone should sign up if they can: "I can honestly say there's not a more rewarding feeling than having the ability to save someone's life, and getting the moment to be able to do that.
"We all know someone that may have been affected by cancer, so ultimately, if you're in a position to help someone else, why wouldn't you take the chance to make a difference?"
Patrick remembers the experience being much easier than he was expecting, particularly as someone who is scared of injections: "It was literally a four hour process and it was completely painless.
"For the sake of three to four hours, imagine what that other person and their family is going through, not just on a physical level but also psychologically.
"That's all I was thinking about whilst I was there rather than feeling like you're in pain or anything...
"Everyone has got the ability to to help and change someone's life. I don't think anything else can top that."