Surge in stem cell donors thanks to Shrewsbury teen Jack
A Shropshire teenager who desperately needs a stem cell transplant in his battle with a rare form of cancer has potentially helped hundreds of people with his campaign.
Shrewsbury student Jack Fenton has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and his mum Kate appealed to Shropshire Star readers to sign up to the donor registers, and possibly save her son.
Since Jack, 18, went public with his story, hundreds of people in Shropshire have signed up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell donor register.
Kate said: "So many people have signed up to the donor register. I think there were about 300 more in the Shrewsbury area since June for Anthony Nolan."
Jack was first diagnosed just after his 17th birthday in July last year.
After months of treatment at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Shrewsbury College student was told he was in full remission last November. But last month, a week before his 18th birthday, he received the devastating news that the leukaemia had returned and it is very likely he will need a stem cell transplant to survive.
Thankfully, Jack is responding well to his immunotherapy treatment, but he still needs the stem cell transplant.
Kate added: "We had good news yesterday that his treatment is working. His cells have reduced from 11 per cent to 0.1 per cent. But if he stopped the immunotherapy treatment it would creep back up. He still needs the stem cell transplant.
"He just needs this donor. There could be a match but there are lots of things that have to happen. If they found a match they could be pregnant or develop an illness, then they wouldn't be able to be used. It's just a case of waiting.
"It's really good that his cells have reduced though and that he's responding so well. What it means is he can have his treatment spaced out a bit more. This week he's having a week off.
"He's been struggling a bit and getting lots of headaches, but he's fantastic. He's so positive. Sometimes I wonder if he's always like that or if it's just around me. He's so laid back and easy going."
Alice Hirst, national recruitment manager at Anthony Nolan, said: “We are wishing Jack and his family all the very best as they prepare for the transplant journey. It is really very inspiring that, despite going through a very tough time, the family are raising awareness of the need for more young people to join the Anthony Nolan register.
"What many people don’t realise is just how simple it is to register to become a potential donor. Registering, if you’re aged 16-30, simply involves filling out a form and providing a saliva sample. This could help patients, like Jack, find their matching stem cell donor and give that person, their family and their friends a second chance of life.
"Our ground-breaking research shows that younger donors give the best chance to patients, so our recruitment age range means we focus on recruiting the best possible donors. We especially need more young men to join the register because they make up 18 per cent of our pool of donors but provide 50 per cent of all donations.
To find out more and sign up for the register visit anthonynolan.org/join4jack
