Inverness firefighter urges Highland residents to sign up for stem cell donor list to mark Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's 10th anniversary of support for the Anthony Nolan charity
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AN Inverness firefighter is encouraging young people to become part of a potentially life-saving scheme.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its collaboration with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan. And to coincide with it Group Commander Fraser Nixon (49) is sharing his experience as a donor to inspire people aged 16 and 30 to register with the charity to join the list of potential stem cell donors.
After registering with the charity about 20 years ago and starting to give presentations in schools about the donations programme, GC Nixon became a stem cell donor himself last year after being previously contacted as a potential match.
He said: “I waited for a long time and after I received a message I went through further exams to make sure I was still fit for the program. Shortly after I was contacted and I resulted as the best match for the person needing the transplant.
“I went to London in an excellent private medical centre, with Anthony Nolan looking after every detail of the journey. The transplant itself took just about four or five hours, during which the medical team collects blood, harvests the cells and then the bloodstream is put back in circulation.
“For a couple of days feeling tired and a painless procedure you can potentially save a life. This is something I am very emotionally tied to, especially when I think of what this means to the person needing the transplant and their family.”
Anthony Nolan uses its register to match stem cell donors to blood cancer patients in desperate need of a transplant.
Younger people are targeted during recruitment as they tend to have better health conditions, with registrations going up until the age of 61.
GC Nixon, vice-chairman of the partnership, has been visiting schools in the past year to raise awareness about the benefits of becoming a stem cell donor.
He said: “We try to recruit as many people as possible: when you are on a stem cell donor register and somebody needs a transplant due to their blood cancer condition, the more people on the register, the more chances they have to get a positive match.
“We recently introduced in our presentation a video with a 17-year-old girl from Fife and whenever that’s on, the audience falls silent; they can relate and the message sent is very powerful and emotional.
“Ultimately, SFRS are here to save human lives and they can do so also in partnership with a charity such as Anthony Nolan.”
The Partnership with SFRS was started by Ally Boyle, then area commander at Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, and works to recruit potential donors. A total of 53 potentially life-saving donations have made through the partnership in the past decade, with 14,000 potential donors recruited to the stem cell register.
Those interested in getting involved can find more information at anthonynolan.org
