'I'm feeling better every day' - Shrewsbury man diagnosed with rare blood cancer recovering well from life-saving stem cell transplant
A 30-year-old Shrewsbury man has thanked colleagues for raising £2,000 for charity as he recovers from a life-saving stem cell transplant.
Staff at Howden insurance on Shrewsbury High Street raised the funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust in honour of Tom Prevett who had the transplant earlier this year.
Tom said he was recovering well from the procedure and was looking forward to getting back to work as soon as he was able.
“It’s certainly been a tough couple of years,” he said. “I was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer about a year ago, at which point they said I would need a stem cell transplant in another 20 or 30 years.
“But my condition changed and doctors said I needed an urgent transplant earlier this year, which was quite a shock.
“So I had a week of intense chemotherapy, followed by the stem cell transplant at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
“It’s been a big challenge but I am feeling better every day, and I’m really keen to get back to work as soon as possible.”
Tom said the support of colleagues at Howden, where he has been an insurance consultant for the past seven years, had been a big help.
Ellie Cole, Howden Shrewsbury branch manager, said everyone was looking forward to seeing Tom back in the office, although he was working remotely while his recovery continued.
“Tom obviously has to be careful because the immune system is very low in the 12 months following a transplant,” she said.
“We have done everything we can to ensure he doesn’t have anything to worry about other than getting better, so he is able to work from home and will come back to the office when he is well enough.
“The team wanted to take on their own challenge to show their support, so we walked a combined seven million steps during May - the equivalent distance of walking from our office in Shrewsbury to the Royal Infirmary in Manchester where Tom had his transplant.
“Thanks to sponsorship and match-funding from Howden, we raised almost £2,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity which has been a massive help to Tom and his family.”
