SCARVA WOMAN IN SEARCH OF BONE MARROW MATCH
A SCARVA mother who is waiting to find a bone marrow match is urging local people to go along and sign up for the Anthony Nolan Trust register at a special clinic in Banbridge.
Diane Hoey (36) was diagnosed with Lymphoma Hodgkin's Disease in January 2007 and following intense courses of both chemotherapy and radiography, she was told in January 2008 that she had suffered a relapse.
Diane then underwent stem-cell treatment but it soon became clear that a bone marrow transplant would be the best way to treat her condition. The Anthony Nolan Trust has been working to find a suitable donor for Diane and in December 2008 it held a clinic at Banbridge Civic Buildings which proved to be extremely popular.
The Anthony Nolan Trust works to provide bone marrow donors for leukaemia sufferers and together with Diane and her family, the Charity has organised a donor recruitment clinic which will be held on Wednesday, 28th January 2009 at Banbridge Leisure Centre between 6.30pm and 9.30pm.
Diane said the past two years have been particularly difficult but with the help of The Anthony Nolan Trust, she is hopeful that a donor will be found soon.
"I'm quite lucky in that I've got a common tissue-type which means I have a very good chance of finding a donor, but my chances will increase if more people join the Charity's bone marrow register," she added.
"I was overwhelmed by the turnout at the last clinic and I was really grateful to my employers Banbridge District Council, for allowing The Anthony Nolan Trust to use their premises. I haven't been able to work since my diagnosis in 2007 but my two sons Taylor (10) and Josh (8) have certainly kept me occupied."
While she is undergoing hospital treatment and is still waiting for her match, Diane says it is a case of trying to keep her spirits up.
"There are a lot of children in need of transplants too. It is not something I would have thought of before I was diagnosed, but if you could save someone by giving some bone marrow then you would do it," she said.
"We organised the first clinic at short notice and had almost 70 people there which was very successful, so we are hoping for an even bigger response for the clinic on Wednesday, 28th."
Anyone who goes along to join the register will be asked to fill in a form and if they are happy to go ahead, then a blood test will be taken to see if it matches Diane, or anyone else currently waiting for a bone marrow transplant.
Angela MacVicar, donor recruitment manager from The Anthony Nolan Trust, said that at any one time, there are approximately 16,000 patients throughout the world who are in the same position as Diane, which means there will always be an urgent need to recruit more donors to increase their chance of receiving a transplant.
"The support Diane has received from the local community, family and friends, especially her husband Sam, has been tremendous. Thirty-six people joined the register at our last clinic in Banbridge and a further 26 filled in postal application forms, so hopefully the clinic on the 28th will be just as successful,” she said.
“Joining the register really could be one of the most important and rewarding steps that a person could take, as potentially they could be the only person in the world who is a match for a patient with a life-threatening illness. That’s why I would encourage anyone aged between 18 to 40 to come along to Banbridge Leisure Centre on 28th January and find out how they could potentially save someone's life.”
Every 21 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with leukaemia or a related illness and for some patients a bone marrow transplant is the only cure. Since its launch in 1974 The Anthony Nolan Trust has succeeded in giving the chance of life to over 5,000 patients and although there are currently 390,000 people on the register, it’s simply not enough.
To join the Anthony Nolan Trust’s bone marrow register you need to be aged between 18 and 40. To find out how you can join the register and for further details on the Banbridge clinic, visit www.anthonynolan.org.uk or call 0901 8833324 or 02072841234.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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