Caithness teenager 'touched' by the response to his appeal for potential stem cell donors
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A Caithness teenager is "really, really delighted and touched" by the public response to his appeal to raise £6000 to recruit 150 new potential donors to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.
Thirteen-year-old, Arran Macleod has to undergo a second life-saving transplant operation in Glasgow to try and cure a rare genetic condition. He and his older brother Euan, who is 16, have a condition called Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) which means their white blood cells have a fault which prevents them fighting infections properly. Although it is genetic, there is no history of the condition on either side of the family.
The only cure is a bone marrow transplant. CGD affects between just 250 and 280 people in the UK.
Arran found out earlier this year that he will need another stem cell transplant but, fortunately, the Anthony Nolan Trust which maintains a bone marrow register and matches patients and donors, has found a suitable donor for him and he is scheduled to get his operation next year.
Arran feels really lucky to have a donor and is determined to make something positive come out of his illness so he launched the appeal to try and encourage more people to sign the register to try and assist others. The £6000 is to cover the costs of processing the 150 new DNA samples. So far, £2539 has been raised from donations and a couple of musical fund-raising events which were organised by Katrina Gordon and Susie Dingle.
His mother, Janet, said: "Arran is really, really delighted and touched that so many people are willing to help him. We think we will reach the money target and would like to think we will get the 150 people to sign up although we suspect that may be harder to do."
She explained what is involved in the process. "The majority of people who sign up will never be asked to donate, but you just might be the one who can save someone's life, and it really isn't the horrendous process people imagine. Ninety per cent of donations are given over the space of four to five hours using a machine which filters the stem cells out in a process similar to giving blood, while only 10 per cent are given as bone marrow.
Any effects to the donor in both cases are usually limited to tiredness and aching for a few days – a minimal cost for saving a life. And travel and accommodation for the donor and a companion are all paid for. All the information about donation methods is available on the Anthony Nolan website, along with comments from previous donors as to how they've found the experience.
"Please encourage anyone you know aged 16-30 to consider joining up – someone close to you might need a donor one day."
Janet is "totally amazed" how supportive people have been. "It is incredible," she said. She praised all those who have helped raise funds and said Katrina Gordon and Susie Dingle who organised the Christmas Carol event and the Sunday Swing Band "have been amazing".
Asked if there are any other fund-raising activities being organised, she replied: "There will be more. We have a few in the pipeline but nothing planned for definite yet."
A total of £877.09 was raised at the Christmas Carol concert with the Caithness Orchestra and the Thurso High School Choir at St Peter's and St Andrew's Church in Thurso last month while a Sunday Swing event held in the Royal Hotel raised £650. With donations the total is now £2539.
Conductor, Susie Dingle described Arran, who plays the violin in the Caithness Junior Orchestra – run by Susie and Katrina – as "an inspirational young man" who despite his own "extreme personal difficulty" remains focused on what he can do to help others.
Katrina said Arran's altruistic attitude is "amazing" and pointed out that the Anthony Nolan Trust has provided a bespoke URL for Arran’s Appeal to help him meet his target of recruiting 150 new potential donors to the stem cell register.
The link is: anthonynolan.org/arransappeal
"It takes five minutes to fill out the form and five minutes to do the cheek swab which arrives in the post, so it’s not a big hassle to sign up to the register. It might be years or even decades before a potential donor gets the call that they are a match to someone in need, but to be in with a chance of being able to help save a life, the first step is to sign up," said Katrina.
She said Scan Here to Save a Life posters are up around Thurso featuring Arran’s bespoke QR code, which readers can also scan to access the sign up to the register page.
As previously reported, Arran had a stem cell transplant in Glasgow when he was just four. At about the same time, seven-year-old Euan had the same procedure. Euan has stabilised after his transplant but is on medication which has caused him medical and mobility problems. He will have to be monitored for the rest of his life, although the doctors think his donor cells will stay at a reasonable level.
The boys live with their mother, Janet and father Calum, at Upper Dounreay.
