Daniel Chesterman, aged 9 from Billericay, Essex, has severe aplastic anaemia and needs a lifesaving bone marrow transplant, but so far we’ve been unable to find him a match.
Daniel’s mum Vivienne Chesterman, is calling on all those aged 16–30 to join the Anthony Nolan register, to give Daniel, and the 1,700 other patients in the UK currently waiting for a matching donor, a chance of life.
He was diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia in September last year, and is currently being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital. His only chance of a cure is a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor and his consultants are waiting for Anthony Nolan to find him a perfect match.
Daniel’s diagnosis came out of the blue last year. During the August bank holiday weekend, strange bruises started to appear on his body, but Daniel’s parents put this down to him being an active little boy. ‘It was only when the nosebleeds started and I saw him looking pale, that I began to wonder what was going on,’ dad Mark said. Blood tests confirmed he had severe aplastic anaemia.
He's a keen performer, and was due to appear in a production of Peter Pan at Christmas, but this had to be put on hold, along with his favourite activities of swimming and football, while he underwent urgent treatment.
‘On transfusion days, Daniel is immobile and then he’s shattered afterwards’, Vivienne says, ‘He’s also neutropenic which means we have to be so careful of any chances of him catching an infection which could further compromise his immune system.’
July was the last time Daniel was at school with his friends. Vivienne adds, ‘he loved school, which is why it’s so sad to see him cooped up because of his illness. The other week he was well enough to pop in for a few hours and the difference was amazing. It gave him a slice of normality which is so precious.’
Lynsey Dickson, Regional Recruitment Manager at Anthony Nolan, says: ‘Daniel needs a bone marrow transplant to give him the chance of a cure, but we can’t currently find a match for everyone who needs one. We need to grow our register of donors to make more matches and save more lives, particularly by recruiting young men who are most likely to be chosen to donate.’
Vivienne Chesterman, adds: ‘I want to call on anyone aged 16–30 to join the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register. Joining is so simple, you just need to fill in a quick online form at and provide a saliva sample. Take ten minutes out of your day to give people like Daniel a fighting chance.’
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