MPs have attended a cross-party parliamentary event to learn about the importance of the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register.
The Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign and #Match4Meena, were supported by their local Member of Parliament Neil O’Brien and blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, to hold the event to give MPs the opportunity to hear more about the 740,000 people in the UK on the Anthony Nolan register.
MPs heard about the need for more young, male donors and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to join the register.
At the event, Fighting Blood Cancer at The Houses of Parliament, Dawn Butler, Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, heard about Meena Kumari-Sharma a 41-year-old who desperately needs a stem cell transplant to treat acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Kumari-Sharma, who has moved to Leicester as she receives treatment, is a mother of two who enjoys outdoor activities with her children.
Ahead of the event Kumari-Sharma said: "I am truly honoured to be supported by Parliament in my search for a stem cell donor.
"I represent one of over 2,000 people in the UK urgently searching for a donor and it is only with the sheer kindness of complete strangers that I can have a second chance at life. I am hopeful that with your help I will be able to watch my five-year-old twins grow up. Together we can all make a huge difference.”
Anthony Nolan recruits people aged 16-30 to the stem cell register as research has shown younger people, especially young men, are most likely to be chosen to donate their stem cells.
The charity also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.
Dawn Butler, MP for Brent Central, said: “I was pleased to attend this important event to hear about the positive steps which have taken to increase the number of potential stem cell donors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
"It’s clear that progress has been made but we still need more people from these backgrounds to join the register, and I encourage people in Brent and across the country to spread the word.
“This event highlighted the inequalities which remain for Black, Asian and minority ethnic patients in need of donors and the vital work of the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign and #Match4Meena, working with Anthony Nolan. It’s hugely important that colleagues across Parliament come together to support this vital work to save the lives of more patients across the UK.”
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, said: “People in the UK have always been incredibly supportive of our work and the need for more donors on the stem cell register. We urgently need more people aged 16-30, and from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, to sign up and give people hope.
"It’s time to rally once more to get the message out loud and clear, so that we can find a match for every person that needs a lifesaving stem cell transplant."
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