A Nottingham college student has become one of the youngest people in the world to donate potentially life-saving bone marrow to a stranger.
Ethan Buttress, 17, from West Bridgford, made the donation in London last week in a bid to save the life of a desperately ill child. He knows nothing else about the person he hopes to have saved – not even where in the world they live.
Ethan, a student at Bilborough College, is the youngest person in the UK to donate stem cells through a process called bone marrow harvest under general anaesthetic – most donations now take place using an outpatient procedure similar to giving blood.
After his donation, Ethan said: “I was a little bit nervous before the procedure but the nurses just got chatting to me and completely took my mind off it. The anaesthetist and the doctors were just really great and I feel good.
“I’ve never had a general anaesthetic before but that was not as big a deal as I thought it was. I was tired, but when I was in recovery I was just lying there and I didn’t feel like I had had anything done.”
The news comes as we launch our ‘Save a Life at 16’ campaign, with a petition urging the Government to give all 16 year olds information about joining the register when they receive their National Insurance numbers.
How Ethan joined our lifesaving register
Ethan signed up to the Anthony Nolan register after attending an awareness raising talk at his college earlier this year, through the charity’s Register & Be A Lifesaver programme. He was told earlier this summer that he was a potential match.
He underwent a series of medical tests before it was confirmed that he was a definite match for the child. Selflessly, he agreed to donate in the procedure last week. This would not have been possible had Anthony Nolan not lowered its age limit from 18 to 16 in 2012.
Ethan Buttress, pictured before his donation
Ethan said: “It would be nice if we got to the stage as a society that, if someone were donating their bone marrow, we would not feel the need to make a big deal out of it, because it’s such a simple thing to do.
“I’m definitely pleased with what I’ve done. For me to be able to donate a life-giving part of myself to someone is fantastic. I really want to encourage more people to do it. I want to try to get more of my friends to and, throughout my life, hopefully, I’ll get a few more people on board.
“I would say to people, sign up. I think it’s crazy that I was born with the power to save someone’s life. It’s just really weird how I’ve got a connection with someone that allows me to save their life and help them out. So, to anyone out there who’s considering it, I think they should go for it.”
'It’s so easy to just pick up the phone and talk to someone at Anthony Nolan'
Macclesfield teenager Victoria Rathmill became the world’s first stem cell donor under the age of 18 last year, donating her stem cells though her bloodstream. Nearly 90 per cent of people donate their stem cells through this method, quickly and easily in a process similar to giving blood, but Ethan was one of the 10 per cent who gives cells from the bone marrow in their pelvis.
Ethan said: “I could have undergone the simpler method of donating but I understand that in this case, the preferred option was to donate bone marrow so I agreed to that.”
Ethan, pictured after his donation
He added: “I’m 17, but a lot of 17-year-olds are very independent. A 17-year-old can drive a car. I think that if you are worried that your son or daughter might not be able to complete the donation safely, you shouldn’t think like that. It’s such a simple procedure that it’s not worth worrying about.
If you broke your arm, you wouldn’t think twice about going in and having an operation. This is even simpler than that, you’re not having anything cut open. For the doctors it’s a walk in the park. I have been really well looked after, and everyone’s been supportive.
“It’s so easy to just pick up the phone and talk to someone at Anthony Nolan, or to speak to a doctor, and they put your mind at rest. Anthony Nolan is really well set up, so there’s always someone to talk to and there’s so much information on the website. You don’t have to feel like you haven’t done enough research.”
'A truly inspirational act'
Katie Day, Register & Be a Lifesaver programme lead at Anthony Nolan, said: “Ethan has done an incredibly selfless and generous thing. We are delighted that a Register & Be a Lifesaver talk led to him having the chance to save someone’s life and we are very glad to hear that he found the procedure so comfortable and rewarding.
“We hope that Ethan sharing his experience will inspire other young people to join the register so that they too have the chance to save a life. If HMRC agrees to include information about Anthony Nolan in letters it sends to 16-year-olds, many more desperately ill people will be given the best chance of life.”
Chris Bradford, Principal at Bilborough College, added: “We are extremely proud of Ethan for making this donation, especially at such a young age. It is a truly inspirational act and we are happy to hear that he is feeling well and coming back to college. We have worked with Anthony Nolan for several years now and this just shows what a valuable relationship we have and how it can potentially help to save lives.
We hope that more young people locally and nationally will sign up to Anthony Nolan’s donor register.”
If you're in good general health and aged 16–30, you can sign up to our register here:
