Delete Blood Cancer UK and Everton FC team up to register potential blood stem cell donors in aid of Finn.
Delete Blood Cancer UK (DBC UK) would like to team up with football clubs up and down the country in a bid to raise awareness of blood stem cell donation, giving staff, players and fans alike the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of those affected by blood cancer.
By taking a few minutes to swab your cheek and register as a potential blood stem cell donor, you, too, could become a potential life saver! It really is very simple!
Everton Football Club teamed up with DBC UK to raise awareness and register new potential blood stem cell donors onto the UK registry. Donor recruitment events were held at Everton’s Goodison Park to find a matching donor for Finn – a seven year old boy and a huge Everton fan who was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome which later developed into Leukaemia.
He needed a bone marrow transplant to have any chance of survival. Supported by Roberto Martinez, his first team players, club ambassadors, ex-players Graeme Sharp, Ian Snodin and Graeme Stuart and Everton staff in conjunction with a wider campaign, 15,000 people registered to become a potential blood stem cell donor; of which, over 600 were a direct result of the events held at Everton FC.
The Toffees also backed the campaign across their social media platforms, inspiring fans, colleagues and communities, including their 3 million-strong social media followers to join the team and show blood cancer what they are made of.
Finn is now making good progress with his recovery after a matching donor was found; he received his bone marrow transplant on the 11th June 2015; further highlighting the importance of increasing the pool of registered potential blood stem cell donors in the UK.
“We are so grateful to Everton and their supporters for their help,” said Finn’s mum, Carole McEwen.
“Not only have they given Finn a wonderful experience in getting to meet his heroes, which he was absolutely thrilled about, they are also helping Finn by registering as potential blood stem cell donors and by encouraging others to register as well. Everton’s support has been a ray of light in a dark time.”
Delete Blood Cancer UK’s key mission is to recruit new potential blood stem cell donors in the hope that a suitable match can be found for every person in need of a donation. Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
For many of those affected, a blood stem cell donation from a matching donor represents their best and sometimes only chance of beating this devastating disease. There are at any time around 2,000 people in the UK waiting for a blood stem cell donation.
There are many ways your football club can get involved with DBC UK’s fight against blood cancer, here are a few:
Individually you can register online at www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk
You can host recruitment events at your club and on match days for staff and fans. These events are simple to organise and DBC UK donor recruitment managers will support your football club every step of the way.
Raise awareness via media channels informing your supporters and the local community. DBC UK will provide all content and material for your clubs social media accounts and website. ■
If your football club would like to get involved in recruiting blood stem cell donors and teaming up with DBC UK, please contact Patrick at Patrick.ryan@deletebloodcancer.org.uk.
For more information about Delete Blood Cancer UK please see our website www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk
