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223 islanders swabbed their cheeks this weekend in a large-scale lifesaving drive to find a stem cell donor for two islanders suffering aggressive blood cancers.
Of 670,000 individuals on a stem cell register database, no matches could be found for gardener Tony Ferreira, who is suffering Sézary syndrome, or an anonymous Portuguese man with Leukaemia.
After Tony’s partner and “childhood sweetheart” Osvalda teamed up with charity Anthony Nolan, a huge drive to find the pair a lifesaving DNA match was held this weekend at St Thomas’s Church.
Pictured: Osvalda teaching her family how to swab.
223 islanders with Portuguese and Madeiran heritage – of which there’s a greater chance of a match – as well as those from the wider Jersey community stepped up to the challenge.
They got together to fill in a short questionnaire and have swabs taken from each cheek as part of a 15-minute process. They’ll now be sent to Anthony Nolan in the UK for assessment.
“The samples will then be ‘tissue-typed’ and peoples’ details will be on the Anthony Nolan Register within 6 to 8 weeks. ‘“Anyone who has joined up will receive a personal, confidential information pack with a donor card, which also asks them to update the Charity if they move house, location etc., because of course the Register is worldwide,” Karen Archer, Regional Register Development Manager for Anthony Nolan explained.
Pictured: The registration sessions took place over the weekend at St Thomas's Church.
Osvalda, who helped show members of her family how to complete the potentially life-saving swab, thanked everyone who took part for their involvement. “I would like to tell everyone that I’m so grateful that they have come this weekend. Tony and I have been overwhelmed by the response. Being on the Register gives Tony more chances, but could also help others fighting blood cancer. It’s important for anyone diagnosed with blood cancer to have access to the Register because it gives them a chance. Anyone on the Register could be a lifesaver. Thank you,” she said.
“I would also like to thank Anthony Nolan in the UK, the Jersey Friends of Anthony Nolan, all the doctors who have been looking after Tony and all of the other volunteers. Everyone has been amazing.”
The next step, according to Osvalda, will be looking into setting up a similar event in Portugal and Madeira.
While potentially meaning “the gift of life” for some, according to Doreen Reed of the Jersey Friends of Anthony Nolan, for one islander, taking part had a personal meaning.
Luis (30), who was the last person to sign up, commented: “A friend of mine had something similar. I just want to be able to help save a life.”
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