In 2019 more than 200 residents responded to the call from the Jersey Friends of Anthony Nolan to register as potential donors for Tony Ferreira, who suffers from Sezary Syndrome – a rare form of blood cancer – but no match was found for him.
A number of those who registered have become matches for other patients, however, with life-changing and life-saving results.
A year on from the campaign, which was launched as part of the Friends’ 25th anniversary, the charity is once again calling on Islanders in good health aged between 16 and 30 years old to join their stem cell donor register as the search to help Mr Ferreira continues.
One of those who registered last year was footballer Tom Turquet, who was identified by the Friends’ as a potential life-saving match for a patient in London.
Mr Turquet, who now acts as an ambassador for the charity, said that the donation process, which involved a medical examination and procedure, as well as a course of medication, was ‘as simple as giving blood but life-changing for the patient’.
‘It’s not as if you’re losing anything that your body can’t replace. I felt fine before, during and after the process. In fact, I didn’t feel a thing,’ he said.
‘The medical staff are incredible. The process is so straightforward, and what you’ve given – your stem cells – are replaced by your own body in just a few days.
‘And the result? It would seem that through my donation I’ve actually saved someone’s life. I can’t describe how humble it makes me feel – for something that was actually so easy. I want to tell everyone about it and tell people to just get it done.’
Mr Turquet was the first person to sign up to the register last March as part of the Friends’ newly launched partnership with the Jersey Football Association.
Another Islander who registered last year was also matched with a patient and donated cells, while a local patient was also matched and received a transplant.
In a joint statement, Jean-Luc Desbois, the chief executive of the Jersey Football Association, and Charlie Browne, the organisation’s vice-president, said that they were delighted by
the response of their members to last year’s campaign.
‘We are extremely proud that Tom – our first JFA footballer to sign up – has been a successful match for someone,’ they said.
‘The partnership with Anthony Nolan came about because another of our St Clement players, Ben Hick, received a life-saving transplant himself six years ago.
‘It was natural for us to want to support the work of the Jersey Friends and we are delighted with this outcome.’
They added that several other clubs in the Island were now taking part in registration events.
Last year the charity received donations of £12,000 from the Jersey Freemasons and £25,000 from the Dorothy Whitney Elmhirst Trust.
Anyone aged 16-30 who is interested in signing up and giving a swab can find out more at anthonynolan.org/joinjersey. Or they can email the charity at jerseyfriendsofan@gmail.com.
