Why This Was Way More Important Than My Honeymoon

I became a bone marrow donor following my father’s diagnosis of liver cancer. I went on a mission to do anything I could to help him and others in need and came across the DKMS website. I signed up online for my home swab kit and sent my cheek swabs back in the post in order for my details to be added to the registry and then literally went on standby as a potential lifesaver.

Receiving That Important Call

Less than two years later, I received an important call saying I was a match for someone in need of a transplant. To get that call that’s when the superhero feeling kicked in. It’s a strange feeling knowing that you could potentially save someone’s life but it was such a proud moment.

Honeymoon Delays

I have been with my partner Heather for six years and we were busy planning our wedding, which took place in March 2018. It was a hectic time for us but I was determined not to let this person down — the wedding went ahead and it was a fantastic day.
Following the wedding, we had planned to go around the coast of Scotland but as this person really needed my help, we, of course, decided to postpone our honeymoon — the coast of Scotland isn’t going anywhere!

Due to the slight delay, we decided to get a new dog and called it “Honey,” short for the honeymoon instead.

Donation Day

The big day had arrived and I donated my blood stem cells through the peripheral blood stem cell collection (PBSC). I was amazed to know that 70% of all donations are made by men and I was proud to be one of them and would urge everyone — male and female — to register.
It’s a simple process to register online for your home swab kit, swab your cheeks and then return the kit.

To know that you could potentially help save someone’s life, you can’t ask for much more than that. My nickname is Junior as I’m the spitting image of my dad and now, following the donation, I get called Super Junior.

“If I had to summarize my donation experience I would say it’s been rewarding, heartwarming and an extremely proud moment that I will never forget.”

How You Can Help

If you’d like to register as a potential blood stem cell donor you can check your eligibility and sign up today. Anyone ages between 18–55 and in general good health can go on standby as a potential lifesaver.

If you’re not eligible or you’re already registered, why not check the other ways to get involved in the fight against blood cancer or help us cover donor registration costs?

Originally published at www.dkms.org.uk on May 24, 2019.