Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford has praised the work of blood cancer charity, Anthony Nolan, following a meeting in the Scottish Parliament where it was revealed that the Stirling Constituency is number one in Mid Scotland and Fife and number three in the whole of Scotland for Stem Cell Donors registered.
1,401 people are registered donors in the Stirling area – with 271 having been added to the list in the past year alone.
The average age of registered donors in the area is 30 – with 40% of all donors being male.
Young male donors are much more likely to be selected by transplant centres, and research has shown that the younger the donor, the better the survival chances of the patient.
Anthony Nolan help save lives of people with blood cancer, by conducting stem cell research, providing donors from their register, and supporting patients and their families throughout their transplant journey.
They are calling for more young men (aged 16-30) and more people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds to sign up to their stem cell donor register.
Commenting, Bruce Crawford said:
“Of course it is great news that the Stirling area is leading the way in the region on the number of stem cell donors registered – being first in Mid Scotland and Fife, and third out of the entire country.
“These incredible people give blood cancer patients a second chance in life – helping to tackle this terrible disease.
“However, we very much need more people to sign up. The research tells us that, to meet the demand, we need more young male donors and more people from black and ethnic minority communities to register as stem cell donors.
“Doing so can save lives.
“Find out more on Anthony Nolan’s website, by visiting: www.anthonynolan.org. “
