A close friend of mine was diagnosed with such an illness several years ago and at one stage required a transplant, yet he has struggled to find a positive match from a donor. Thankfully, his condition has improved but that's not to say he won't require a donor in the future. 

We need to raise awareness of the simplicity of joining the donation register. It is as simple as requesting a free 'spit kit' from the Anthony Nolan website, delivered direct to your home and providing a small sample of saliva. That's it. That's all it takes. Five minutes of your time and a little bit of spit in a tube. 

Then there seems to be a common misconception of what being a potential donor entails. Some people seem to be put off the idea as they believe it would be a painful and risky procedure. It's not. 9 times out of 10 being a donor will simply involve giving blood in a not too dissimilar fashion of how someone would normally donate blood. Then there's the 1 time in 10 procedure where it is required to gather stem cells directly from the bone marrow. This is performed under general anaesthetic and afterwards you may feel a little bruised and lethargic. Bruised and lethargic...a small price to pay for saving someone's life.

I'm running (or at least walking and/or possibly/probably crawling) the GNR not only in support of my friend but also for the other countless men, women and children in a similar situation, who are hoping and praying for a positive match to save their lives. So come on, if you're 16-30 and in reasonable health, spit in a tube and get on the register. You can save a life.

Any donation would be massively appreciated and I will be giving my all to cross that finish line in a (hopefully) respectable time! 

Thank you

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