Last-minute Telford donor matches with blood cancer patient

A man who signed up to find out if he was a stem cell match to a blood cancer patient has donated his cells to another person in need.

Brendon Craister, 26, took part in a donor drive at Telford Minster, in Shropshire, last Christmas. He came across the event because he was doing last-minute shopping.

The drive was to find a potential match for Marshall Davies from Telford, who was diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2023.

“I didn’t end up matching with that blood cancer patient, but two or three months later I was contacted by Anthony Nolan who told me I was a match for another. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” said Mr Craister.

“I was surprised but it was a no-brainer for me to say yes.

“I wouldn’t feel right saying no to the opportunity to help someone; if you’ve got a chance to help another person I don’t see why you wouldn’t do everything you could.”

He happened upon the drive by chance while doing last-minute Christmas shopping. One of his colleagues had leukaemia and was waiting for her own transplant, which made the decision even more clear to him, he said.

The test, coordinated by Race Against Blood Cancer, involved giving some personal details and taking swab samples of the inside of his cheeks.

Of donation day, he said: “I was pleasantly surprised by how simple and seamless the entire process was.”

While the PBSC (peripheral blood stem cell collection) procedure had its moments of slight discomfort, especially with holding my arm in one position, it was overall quite manageable.

“It’s amazing to think that such a straightforward process has saved a life.”

Marshall Davies has not yet found a donor match but is still looking.

Race Against Blood Cancer said there is an estimated 2,000 people looking for a stem cell match in the UK.