Mark Tami MP celebrates community’s efforts to save the lives of people with blood cancer

To mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami took part in an event in Parliament to celebrate the nation’s potential stem cell donors on the Anthony Nolan register and raise awareness of the urgent need to diversify the stem cell register.

The event was hosted by Anthony Nolan on 26 October as part of its Communities vs Blood Cancer campaign, which shines a spotlight on vital work being done to ensure that every patient in need of a stem cell transplant can find a lifesaving donor.

Mr Tami’s eldest son, Max, who fully recovered from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after intensive chemotherapy and a life saving stem cell transplant as a child was also in attendance, sharing his story with MPs.

In total, more than 865,000 people in the UK are on the Anthony Nolan register, any of whom could be a match for someone with blood cancer or a blood disorder and be asked to donate their stem cells to give a patient a second chance of life.

Now, is encouraging more people from, particularly men and people from minority ethnic backgrounds aged 16-30, to register as stem cell donors and help increase the chances that a match is available for everyone in need of a transplant.

While anyone on the register could be a match for someone with blood cancer, men aged 16-30 are most likely to be asked to donate. They provide more than 50% of donations yet make up less than 18% of the register. There is also a need for more donors from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Mark Tami MP said: “I am very proud to support Anthony Nolan and celebrate the nation’s potential lifesavers, any one of whom could offer someone with blood cancer a second chance of life. Registering to become a stem cell donor is straightforward and could make an enormous difference to someone with no other chance of a cure.”

[Photo: Mark Tami MP and his son Max at the Anthony Nolan event in Parliament]