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A father from County Down is calling for more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors, after his son was told he urgently needs a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer.

Thomas Cafolla, 22, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in October 2017. He had just begun a placement year in London, as part of his hospitality course at Ulster University, when he started feeling unwell. 

Thomas’ father Michael said: ‘He was having night sweats and feeling particularly tired, but initially we put it down to a change in environment and the stress of working in a busy hotel.

‘I never want to see another family go through this, it’s heart breaking’.

A mother from Essex is calling for more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors, after she was told her young son urgently needs a transplant to treat his rare cancer.

The mother of two five-year old twins desperately needs a stem cell transplant to treat acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer. Meena Kumari-Sharma and her family are campaigning to raise awareness of the need to recruit more donors to the Anthony Nolan register.  

A mother-of-five from Bury, whose youngest twin daughters were both diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, is trying to encourage more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors.Both Pixie-Rose and Presley-Pearl Sellars, two, were diagnosed with myelofibrosis and myelodysplasia, a rare blood disorder affecting the bone marrow.

Today NHS England announced a groundbreaking new treatment using CAR-T therapy will be available to children and young people with leukaemia. 

Simon Butler, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Anthony Nolan says: 

'This is very promising news for children and young people with leukaemia and we welcome this treatment being made available by the NHS.

Anthony Nolan is working with the Blood Cancer Alliance this September to “Make Blood Cancer Visible” this Blood Cancer Awareness Month. 

This year the campaign calls for governments in the UK to give blood cancer the priority and recognition it deserves, starting with clear long-term commitments in their next cancer plans.

A touring exhibition of statues shine the spotlight on patient stories, including that of Peter McCleave, a 40-year-old husband and father of two. 

Over 10,000 people have signed up to become potential stem cell donors, in support of a six-year-old who desperately needs a transplant to save his life.

Marley Nicholls, from Newport, was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, a rare blood disorder affecting the bone marrow. His family have been told that his best chance of survival is a stem cell transplant from a matching stranger.

After it was revealed that Marley’s younger brother George, 4, wasn’t a suitable match, we sprang into action and are now searching for a matching donor.

A lifelong Guernsey resident has launched a desperate appeal for a stem cell donor to save his life and gift him the chance to watch his grandchild grow up.

Mark Falliaze, 53, has myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and has been told by doctors that he urgently requires new stem cells from a stranger to rebuild his immune system, so he can fight infection and disease.