In August 2019, I’d just turned 29 when I was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome and told I’d need a stem cell transplant. I didn’t even know what that meant at the time. I had 3 rounds of chemotherapy and total body irradiation to prepare my body for a stranger’s stem cells, since there were no matches in my immediate family. A search of the national and then international databases of donors was undertaken and finally yielded a genetic match in the USA. An anonymous donor donated his cells in a local clinic and a volunteer couriered them from the US to the hospital in Scotland where I had the transplant in January 2020. They saved my life.

That’s the serious bit out of the way. I started this unexpected (to put it lightly) journey almost two years ago, and I’m grateful to my family, friends, colleagues and the NHS staff who’ve supported me throughout. The other constant during this time has been a heightened awareness of health. That may seem obvious, but it’s made me passionate about the importance of always making the time to look after yourself. I'm lucky that I was fit and attuned to by body, realised something was wrong early and sought help. Through treatment that causes weight gain, hair loss and other side effects that are far more unpleasant (being fat and bald was the least of my worries), exercising, even if just for a few minutes when I was very unwell, gave me a focus and the confidence to believe that I could overcome the illness.

Anthony Nolan is a charity that makes lifesaving connections between people with blood cancer and incredible strangers ready to donate their stem cells. By growing the stem cell register, carrying out research and providing post-transplant care, they are giving people like me a future. With the support they receive, they save 3 lives a day but it costs £40 to register each potential donor. The last year has been tough for charities, with a lot of the usual fundraising avenues closed off due to Covid restrictions, so I’m hoping we can make a real difference.

If you want to contribute, there are three ways you can help:

1. Become a donor. Join the stem cell register in your country. It’s just a cheek swab that you can do at home, and if you’re matched with a transplant candidate, you donate your cells just like you’d give blood. Encourage all the young people you know (younger cells are better cells) to join too.

2. Make a donation to Anthony Nolan or the equivalent in your country.

3. Make a commitment to improving your health this June. The stem cells used in my transplant travelled 5,000 miles and I’m aiming to match that distance in a month by bike and on foot. I plan to cover a good proportion of the distance and would love it if you contributed some mileage, so I don’t have to do it all myself! What you do doesn’t matter, it can be anything from upping the distance on your daily walk to getting a group together for some sponsored fun. My fiancé Isla will be running a solo marathon to do her bit. If you’re keen:

Download the Strava app (it's free)

Join the Stem Cell 5000 Club (https://www.strava.com/clubs/sc5000)

Activities you record will be automatically added to the total

If you have any technical questions, get in touch with me direct. Thanks for reading this far, and I hope you'll help me ensure there's a future for people in need of a donor.