This summer, we've been celebrating 30 years of research at the Anthony Nolan Research Institute (ANRI).
Since opening in 1996, ANRI has helped improve outcomes for patients and donors worldwide - shaping global clinical practice and expanding what’s possible in stem cell transplant and cell therapy.
But the work isn't finished. In our new campaign, fronted by comedian Al Murray, we are raising awareness of the urgent need for more research to improve survival rates.
On average, just 50 per cent people survive for five years or more after a transplant. Each person's experience is different, and varies based on factors like their age and underlying condition. But we know people deserve more than half a chance.
In the campaign, Al Murray meets three people who are in recovery from a transplant. They sit at a table with three empty seats, representing the transplant recipients who are no longer with us.
This is a particularly poignant message for Al Murray, who lost his nephew Finley to Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML) aged just eight, after two stem cell transplants.
He sits with Raj, Emma and Kal, who have all received a stem cell transplant. Below, you can learn more about their stories and what the campaign means to them.
Raj, 32 from Leicester
Raj was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called myelofibrosis in October 2015, after a routine eye test at just 22. He said: “I was a bit all over the place at first, it was difficult to understand.”
Raj's doctors explained that a stem cell transplant would be his only chance at a cure. He said, "At that time, they didn’t know when I would need it, they said it would depend on the progression of the condition. I was on some medication and having routine hospital appointments for a good five years until they advised me I would need the transplant."
A search for a matching donor was conducted across international registries and eventually a 10/10 match was found for Raj in Germany. "It was a relief, especially because I’m of Indian ethnicity so I know there’s less chance of finding a good match. Luckily, I had a few 10/10 matches. All I know about my donor is that he’s a man from Germany. I sent him an anonymous thank you letter but I haven’t tried to get in direct contact yet. I’d like to."
"I'm almost six years-post transplant now and I've been doing really well. I've gone on to study a masters degree in the football industry, and now have a dream job working on the Euros 2028 tournament."
"I'm so grateful to all the people who are working to make stem cell transplants more effective. I owe my life to them. I'm so pleased to be part of this campaign to support Anthony Nolan and raise awareness about stem cell transplants."
Emma, 58 from Hertfordshire
Emma was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2024 following a routine blood test.
"When I was diagnosed with blood cancer it was a massive shock - I had none of the typical symptoms, and I was lucky it got picked up."
"My consultant even told me if I hadn't had the test that day I would have been so ill that my whole body would have shut down, and I wouldn't have been well enough for chemo or a transplant. I just couldn’t compute how I could have been so ill."
Emma underwent four months of chemo before a 12/12 match was found for her. She said: “Every time I think about my donor, I just think, ‘oh my God, you are my hero’. He's given me my life back.”
Emma credits her positive attitude for getting her through the chemo, the transplant and her long-term recovery. She said: “Once you've been diagnosed with cancer, it's always in your mind, but I can't live on fear. I cannot live on ‘what if’. It's about finding the things you can control. Most of the time, I have control of what I choose to focus on and what helps me feel positive.”
"There's not enough words to say thank you to the people who are making progress in stem cell transplants possible. Without research I wouldn't be here."
Kal, 52 from London
Kal was diagnosed with an aggressive form of myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood cancer, just before Christmas in 2019. She said: “The words were going in one ear and out the other. I just kept thinking, ‘What is she talking about? How can she be talking about me?’”.
Kal started treatment straight away, and a transplant was arranged for June 2020 however was delayed due to the Covid pandemic.
"I worried about finding a donor. I’m the oldest of five but I knew there was no guarantee that any of my siblings would be a match. The older ones were tested first but they weren’t a match, and I was getting more and more worried."
Luckily, her two youngest siblings was a match and the transplant went ahead with her younger brother as a donor. She said: “It was the best thing ever. I bought him a t-shirt saying, ‘I’m The Chosen One’. I felt so relieved. I’ve read stories of people who aren’t able to find matches. It’s scary. I was thinking, ‘What happens if I don’t have a donor?’”
Kal had some set-backs during her recovery, including some neurological side effects and graft versus host disease, where the new cells attack the patient’s tissues. She also struggled with anxiety and isolation while she recovered during the pandemic.
She says, “When I have down days, I remind myself what a miraculous recovery I’ve made. After everything I’ve been through, I feel lucky to be where I am today.”
"The advances they've made in terms of matching are phenomenal. You don't need to have a full match on the register to get a positive result."
"Ever since I've had my transplant, I've found purpose in raising awareness of the stem cell register. It means a lot to be involved in this campaign, and I hope it makes more people understand the need for more research to give people like me a better chance of survival."