On 11th February, Conservative MP for Harrow East was awarded for his continuous support to the Help Veer Campaign. Bob Blackman received the Anthony Nolan Political Supporter of the Year award at the Anthony Nolan awards for his support in the campaign of the four-year-old Veer Gudhka with a rare genetic disorder.
Veer Gudhka from Harrow suffered a rare and life changing illness called Fanconi Anaemia. The condition means that his bone marrow produces less blood cells, which leads to tiredness, the body more exposed to infections, and a high likelihood of developing a deadly blood cancer.
Mr Blackman promoted Veer’s case after an online meeting with his family and the Conservative Friends of India to discuss how stem cell registration for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups could be improved. Currently only 60 per cent of stem cell transplant recipients receive the best match, with someone of a BAME background having a 20 per cent chance of a match.
In his address, he said, “I was pleased to learn how easy it is to join a stem cell register, it’s simply a matter of swabbing the inside of your cheek at home, and putting the swab pack in the post! If someone is found to be a lifesaving match, over 90 per cent of people donate their stem cells in much the same way as giving blood, without an operation. You just lie on a bed for up to five hours whilst stem cells are collected and red blood cells are then put back into your blood stream.
“Anthony Nolan is one of the UK’s stem cell registries and they told me that 95 potential lifesavers joined their register from Harrow East in the last year, with a total of 1,693 people now registered.
If you would like to become a donor, people aged 16 to 30 and in good health can join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register online at http://www.anthonynolan.org/helpveernow
Anyone between the ages of 17-55 and in general good health can also become a potential blood stem cell donor through the DKMS at http://www.dkms.org.uk/veer
