Woman to hold West Lothian stem cell drive after treatment saved brother-in-law’s life – Scottish Daily Record


A woman will hold a stem cell registration drive in Livingston after treatment saved her brother-in-laws life when he was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Claire Craig will host the drive for charity DKMS two years after her brother-in-law Jamie, from Livingston, received life-saving stem cell treatment thanks to the help of a donor from Germany.

Jamie was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in August 2014 aged 31 and was given only an 18 per cent chance of survival unless a stem cell donor match was found.

With none of his five siblings proving to be a match, Jamie finally received good news in October 2014 that a female donor had been found in Germany, by February 2015 Jamie was in remission.

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Inspired by her brother-in-laws story Claire has decided to hold a drive for the stem cell charity at the Salvation Army hall in Howden, Livingston, on June 1, with 10-minute slots available from 11am to 6 pm.

Claire, who now lives in Berwick, said: I have decided to hold this event, hopefully to raise awareness and get as many people as I can to sign up to be on the register.

To join the register all we need is a simple, painless swab of the inside of both cheeks, along with some basic contact details. This will take less than ten minutes but could give someone a second chance of life.

This is the second drive Claire has held after hosting one in Berwick last month and she hopes to encourage as many 17 to 55-year-olds as possible to sign up for the register.

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Lisa Nugent, head of donor recruitment at blood cancer charity DKMS, said: Were grateful to Claire for hosting the donor drive event in Livingston and call on anyone aged between 17 and 55 years and in general good health to register at the event or by visiting http://www.dkms.org.uk.

She added: Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Finding a blood stem cell match from a genetically similar person can offer the best treatment, a second chance of life. Thats why DKMS exists to register people as a blood stem cell donor and become a potential life-saver it costs just 40 to register a new donor.

Anyone who wants to register can visit http://www.facebook.com/dkmssignuplivingston or contact Claire on 07826 516504.

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Woman to hold West Lothian stem cell drive after treatment saved brother-in-law's life - Scottish Daily Record

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