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A father from Watford is calling on people across the UK to join the Anthony Nolan register and save his 18-year-old daughter’s life. 

In 2016, at the age of 15, following a family holiday Sheena Shah became achy and lethargic. After losing her appetite Sheena was taken to see her family GP, who referred her for blood tests to rule out a virus. 

A few hours after Sheena’s blood tests, her mother, Nilpa received a phone call. 

The family of a 5-month-old baby with Wiskott – Aldrich Syndrome, the same immune system disorder Anthony Nolan was diagnosed with, are calling for more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.

Daniel McAvoy, from Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with Wiskott- Aldrich Syndrome after he became ill at three weeks old. His family have now been told that he will need a stem cell transplant if he is to be cured.

Katie with her daughter Shayah

A young mum from Castlecroft, Wolverhampton is calling for more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors, with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, after being told that she desperately needs a stem cell transplant to cure her blood cancer.

Katie Wright, 25, is a mental health nursing student at the University of Wolverhampton, and was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when she was 17 years old, after discovering a lump on her neck.

On Wednesday 17 July, NHS England published their May 2019 Prioritisation Decisions and approved allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants for Primary Immunodeficiencies (PID).

Previously, allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants for PID have only been available for children and have been made available for adult patients since early 2018 on a temporary basis whilst this review was undertaken.

William Black will be competing to raise awareness of stem cell transplantation

A Dunfermline man who received a lifesaving saving stem cell transplant is competing as part of blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan’s team at the Westfield Health British Transplant Games in Newport, South Wales.

Blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan hosted a cross-party Parliamentary event on Wednesday 3rd July to celebrate the 205,000 people who joined the UK stem cell register last year and mark the 10th year of the UK Stem Cell Strategic Forum. The event was attended by several MPs and Minister for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention, Jackie Doyle Price.

(l-r) Simon, Jonny and Josh Parker

Young Geordies have the opportunity to sign up as stem cell donors with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan this week to support an appeal for a 21-year-old economics student who is receiving treatment for blood cancer.

In August 2018 Jonny Parker was given the news he had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a rare type of blood cancer. The keen runner had been struggling to improve on his 5k times.

Jonny says: ‘We thought it was a shoulder injury. I had a lump which didn’t disappear after my shoulder got better.

Anthony Nolan’s Regional Register Development Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Amy Bartlett, has made the following statement in response to the news of Eimear Gooderham’s death:

"We are deeply saddened to hear news of Eimear’s death. Our thoughts go out to her husband Phillip, her parents Seán and Sinead, her siblings, family and friends at this difficult time.

A mum of three with leukaemia has been ‘completely taken aback’ by the support she has received from people in Northern Ireland this week. The charity Anthony Nolan has seen 1,732 people in the province sign up to its register online, in the last ten days, in support of her appeal for a stem cell donor. This compares to the 318 people who joined the register in Northern Ireland in the entire month of May.

#HarrisonKicksLeukaemia assembles to urges people to join the Anthony Nolan and NHS Stem Cell Registry

Fourteen-year-old Harrison Walch from Aston is a keen footballer, who plays right back for Aston Swallownest Blues under 15s. Like other teenagers he likes playing Xbox online with his friends supporting Sheffield United – particularly his favourite player Billy Sharp – and walking his French Bulldog Leo.