Limavady Grammar School inspired by student to hold stem cell donor drive

Limavady Grammar School students and staff are stepping up to give more people with blood cancer a second chance at life, partnering with blood cancer charity DKMS for a big stem cell donor drive this weekend.

For patients with blood cancer or other blood disorders, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor can be life-saving and may be their only opportunity for a second chance. Most patients don’t have a match in their family, and just 7% of the eligible population in the UK are signed up to the register.

The school is organising a stem cell donor drive as part of the DKMS Big Cheekender, which is taking place across the UK this weekend. To mark the end of Blood Cancer Awareness Month, events are happening over the country, getting people to come forward and do a cheek swab so that they can be added to the stem cell donor register. The school will hold a drive for staff and students on Friday, before welcoming in the wider public to visit the school and complete a cheek swab from 10am-4pm on Saturday 27 September.

One patient who found himself in urgent need of a stem cell transplant was Limavady Grammar student, Caden Moore. Caden’s mum, Mrs Sabrina Moore, is also a PE teacher at the school.

“When you hear your child's survival could depend on a stranger, your whole world just stops. Caden was diagnosed in August 2017, and we were told he needed a stem cell transplant. His dad and I immediately offered to be donors, but we couldn't. His medical team began a worldwide search of the donor register, and also tested his brother and sister, who were only 10 and 12 at the time,” said Mrs Moore.

“The wait was unbearable. We were told not to get our hopes up, as the odds of a family match were low. But then we got the call: Caden's big brother was a full match. The relief was overwhelming. We were one of the lucky ones. This experience completely changed our view of donors. Before, the need for donors was an abstract concept; now, it's personal. It taught us that the person who can save a life might be closer than you think. Every single person on that registry is a potential miracle for a family like ours - and that selfless act from a donor is truly a gift of life.”

ABOVE: Caden receiving treatment in hospital.

For patients with blood cancer or blood disorders, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor may be their only chance of survival. Right now, only 6 in 10 patients find the matching donor they desperately need, and there are around 2,000 people in the UK waiting to find their donor.

During Caden’s illness, the community at Limavady Grammar school rallied around, with many older students joining the register to see if they were a match for him or someone else on the register. One of those students was eventually matched to a complete stranger and came forward to donate, giving them a second chance at life.

Mrs Moore continued: “When I heard that Jenny had been told she was a match for someone in need, I became extremely emotional. It brought me right back to that moment in our own family when we were told, “We’ve found a match.” To know that one of our own pupils had signed up to the register and was now going to be a lifesaver was overwhelming.”

DKMS spokesperson, Bronagh Hughes, added: “The staff and students of Limavady Grammar School are absolutely amazing. It’s great to see such a strong community, which, when touched by blood cancer and disorders, has decided to come together to support more patients who are still waiting for their match.  Every new person who joins the register is a potential lifesaver, so please come down to the school on Saturday to get signed up. It only takes a few minutes, and some simple cheek swabs.”

Limavady Grammar is teaming up with DKMS to call on the wider community to come down on Saturday and join the register.

Mrs Moore concluded: “I want everyone to understand how easy this process is. A few minutes of your time today could mean a lifetime for someone else - a chance to grow up, create memories, have a family, and grow old with the people they love. It's also easy to think that something like this will never come to your door, but unfortunately, that's not the case. We were that family. I was that person. You'll be surprised at how straightforward it is. Your choice to sign up could be the miracle a family like mine is waiting for.”

Above: Caden and his big brother Ben who turned to be a full match.

Anyone aged 17-55 and in general good health can sign up with a few simple mouth swabs. If you can’t attend the event, you can order your swab kit online, visit dkms.org.uk.

Things you didn’t know about blood cancer:

1. Blood cancers are the third most common cause of cancer death in the UK
2. Every year, nearly 13,000 people die from blood cancer in the UK
3. At any one time there are around 2,000 people in the UK in need of a stem cell transplant