In October of 2019 , at 17 years old, i was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Since then almost 2 years later, i have undergone many different treatments including , AVBD chemotherapy, BEACOP chemotherapy, radiotherapy, monoclonal antibody chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and most recently, a bone marrow transplant at southampton hospital. It was never planned from the beggining to have the transplant, but as my cancer had been so difficult to get rid of it was the best plan of action. For my transplant to go ahead i needed a donor to give me the stem cells to be able to rebuild my new immune system. This is where the amazing work of Anthony Nolan comes in. By finding me several donor matches they were able to get the best match for me. The transplant involved 8 days of chemo to wipe out my existing immune system , then on day 9 i had the infusion of my new bone marrow cells in 5 bags of liquid. The rest of the time in hospital was all about recovery and making sure the 'engraftment' of my new cells went well, and making sure i didnt fall ill and any infection was taken care of.

 I was very lucky to be able to have my mum there with me to keep me company while in hospital. We were not allowed to leave the room at all to prevent me falling ill as i had no immune system. Being home since my transplant has been great and its lovely to be back with my family. Recently i have had some really good news with a scan result and i am cancer free. Hopefully my new immune system will keep me healthy for years to come. Without Anthony Nolan finding me a donor, I am not quite sure where i would be right now. I will be forever grateful for the amazing science and research that goes into treating people with blood cancer, and this amazing charity. They are true heroes.

Anthony Nolan saves the lives of people with a blood cancer or blood disorder. We do this by matching incredible individuals willing to donate their stem cells to people who desperately need a lifesaving transplant. We also carry out cutting edge scientific research, fund specialist post-transplant nurses and support patients and their families through the transplant process and beyond. We won’t stop until we save the lives of everyone who needs a stem cell transplant. Every penny you donate brings us closer to that day.