The coronavirus pandemic is causing anxiety and frustrations for us all. But for blood cancer patients who cant wait any longer for lifesaving stem cell donations to be delivered, we have the power to save lives in this crisis.

Staff from across Anthony Nolan have volunteered as stem cell couriers to travel across the UK collecting donated stem cells and transporting them to patients waiting for a transplant.

Anthony Nolan matches individuals willing to donate their stem cells to patients with blood cancer or blood disorders who desperately need lifesaving transplants. The charity usually enlists the help of over 50 volunteers, who are usually retired, that travel the UK and all over the world to collect stem cells from donors and deliver them to patients safely and promptly.

Anthony Nolan relies upon the generosity of volunteers to courier the stem cell donations critical for lifesaving transplants. On average, the incredible work of the charity’s volunteers, helps save Anthony Nolan more than £500,000 every year.

Earlier this month, following guidance from the UK Government amid the ongoing covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak the charity made the decision to work with alternative couriers to pick up and deliver stem cells from outside the UK to ensure patients’ needs are met. The decision was taken because many Anthony Nolan couriers are retired and give their time to support the charity. Staff from across the Anthony Nolan have stepped up and been trained, virtually, to pick up and deliver stem cells within a matter of hours. Our volunteer couriers continue to provide vital support whether by still couriering if they are able or by buddying up with staff to give logistical and moral support.

Once a person donates their stem cells, couriers have just 72 hours to deliver them to the patient for the clinician to administer the lifesaving transplant. In times of global travel restrictions, the couriers must ensure that they arrive on time.

Anthony Nolan has created an emergency “Handover Hub” at Heathrow Airport, open 24 hours a day to enable international couriers who can’t go into hospitals due to social distancing rules, to transfer donated stem cells to one of its UK volunteers for the final lifesaving leg.

In addition to raising funds to carry out it’s vital work Anthony Nolan needs to raise an extra £10,000, every month that the coronavirus pandemic continues, to fund this work. Visit www.anthonynolan.org/coronavirusemergencyappeal find out how you can help the charity keep this lifesaving work going.

Every £100 we raise could help pay to keep their Emergency Handover Hub at Heathrow Airport open 24 hours a day, to enable international couriers who cant go into hospitals due to quarantine rules, to handover donated stem cells to one of the UK volunteers for the final lifesaving leg.

Please sponsor me whatever you can today to keep this vital work going.