NBRA gets behind Luke Hope’s appeal
The NBRA has joined the appeal to help Apollo apprentice Luke Hope find a suitable donor in his battle with cancer, after the association’s national business development manager Michael Wicks revealed that his own son fought and beat leukaemia.
Like Luke, Michael’s son Andrew was diagnosed with the disease at an early age. He too overcame the disease only to suffer a relapse.
A search began for a genetic twin suitable for a bone marrow transplant and after a worldwide search donors for an Umbilical Cord Cell Transplant were found in America and the Czech Republic.
Andrew retained the American cells and his full recovery began. Now 26, he is research scientist at the Institute of Cancer Research.
Michael Wicks said: “I am appealing for you to help Andrew and me, to help Luke and his family please. Let’s give him the same fighting chance that Andrew’s donors have given to my son.
“I have felt their stress and pain, and this is something that can impact on anyone of our lives at any unforeseen moment.”
He continued: “The Anthony Nolan database in the UK is working hard to expand their database of donors and all that is needed of you is a sample of your saliva. This is enough to determine whether you have the matching DNA to save a life and it’s painless, so what have you to lose?”
Anyone can make a donation to the DKMS charity and register to be tested as a potential donor.
