TWO young women from Jersey – one who gave a life-saving donation and another whose life was saved by a stranger – have joined forces to urge Islanders to take a simple step that could mean the difference between life and death.
Beth Bowyer signed up to the stem cell register on a whim during a community swabbing drive six years ago and largely forgot about it. That small decision later saw the 26-year-old fly to London to donate stem cells to a critically ill patient in the United States.
Meanwhile, Isabel Marsh knows first-hand what that act of generosity can mean. At just 21, she faced a gruelling battle with leukaemia and a transplant that carried a one-in-four chance of death.
Today, both women are speaking out – one as a donor, the other as a recipient – to send a powerful message to Islanders that joining the stem cell register is quick, simple and could one day save a life.
“Ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference by simply choosing to help”
A WOMAN who signed up to the stem cell register on a whim six years ago has spoken about the moment she received a call saying she was a match and how the experience showed her that “small acts of kindness can have a ripple effect far beyond what we imagine.”
Beth Bowyer signed up to the stem cell register in 2019 after a community appeal encouraged Islanders to check if they could be a match for a local man battling a rare blood cancer.
The now 26-year-old explained: “People were asked to go to St Thomas’ Church to get their mouth swabbed to check if they were a stem cell match for local gardener Tony Ferreira, who had been diagnosed with Sézary syndrome.”
“We wanted to help the community. We did it to see if we could help and if we were a match.”
Beth admitted that she’d “forgotten” about signing up until 2025, when she received a phone call informing her that she was a match for someone needing a stem cell transplant.
“I had just moved back to Jersey to start my career in chiropractic,” she said. “I was delighted to help and happy to hopefully give someone a second chance at life.”
For Beth, agreeing to go ahead was immediate.
“I said yes straight away,” she explained. “Working in healthcare did drive me to say an immediate yes, but it also comes from my upbringing.
“Both my parents work in health and social care, and they always had the outlook on life that you should help people whenever you can – it costs nothing to be kind.”
Beth said the donation process was far less daunting than people might imagine, with charity staff supporting her at every stage.
After the initial call confirming she was a potential match, she explained that she had a telephone consultation to go through her medical history.
“Then they organised for a nurse to come to my house and take my bloods,” said Beth. “They were sent off for rigorous testing, and then I received a call to say it was all clear.”
Two weeks later, Beth and her mum flew to London for additional tests and to learn more about the procedure.
“The charity organised our flights, hotel and transportation,” she explained.
Before the donation, Beth was started on a five-day course of filgrastim injections to increase the number of stem cells in her blood.
She then returned with her mum to London, which is where the donation took place.
“They put two cannulas in – one in my left arm and one in my right hand,” explained Beth.
“They put a pillow under my arm, made me comfortable, then turned on the machine, and I sat for five hours while my stem cells were extracted.”
While the injections beforehand left her feeling fatigued, Beth said she felt back to normal within a week of the extraction procedure.
Throughout the process, Beth said that she was given constant reassurance, and it was made clear to her that she could withdraw at any stage if she felt uncomfortable.
“The charity was amazing, they organised everything, supporting us financially and checking in each step of the way if I was happy to continue,” she said.
Beth’s family were equally supportive – especially her mum, who travelled with her to London multiple times.
“Everyone was really excited and supportive,” she said. “My gran was so proud. My mum was so happy and proud, and she told me she was proud of the woman she created.”
Beth later learned that her stem cells were sent to a male patient in the United States, but she said the recipient’s background or circumstances never mattered to her.
“I believe that whether I’m donating to a child or an adult, whether they are a good or bad person, it doesn’t matter – everyone deserves the opportunity to live,” she explained.
Looking back now, Beth said she is amazed at how a “small decision” made years earlier could have such a profound impact.
“At the time, registering felt like a simple choice – just an opportunity to help someone in need,” she explained. “I didn’t fully grasp how meaningful that moment could become years later.
“Realising that my donation may have given someone a second chance at life is both humbling and deeply moving. It reminds me that even small acts of kindness can have a ripple effect far beyond what we imagine.”
Beth hopes that sharing her story will encourage others to consider joining the stem cell register.
“It’s a simple step that could one day mean everything to someone else,” she said, adding that the experience had “changed” her for the better.
“It has strengthened my belief that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference by simply choosing to help,” said Beth.
“Knowing that one decision could give someone more time with their family, more memories and more opportunities in life is something I will always carry with me.”
“I would not be here today without that incredible generosity”
A 25-YEAR-OLD Islander who received a life-saving stem cell transplant has spoken about the gratitude she feels towards the stranger who saved her life.
Isabel Marsh underwent the transplant in 2021 after being diagnosed with leukaemia and going through multiple rounds of treatment.
“Having a stem cell transplant was something that was in the conversation since the beginning of my treatment,” she explained. “It was something that I always knew was possibly on the cards.”
Isabel’s leukaemia treatment began with a course of chemotherapy, which failed.
This was followed up by immunotherapy, which is when she was told she’d need a transplant.
“Initially, my sister was going to be my donor,” explained Isabel.
“She went in for all the tests and was a match, but unfortunately didn’t match up on dormant viruses.
“I’d previously had glandular fever and she hadn’t, so we were no longer a match.”
Doctors then turned to the international transplant register, where a suitable donor was found for Isabel.
“I matched with a woman in Germany,” she said. “Finding out that I had a match and that she had agreed to donate her cells to me was a huge moment.”
Isabel said she remains deeply thankful for the decision made by someone she had never met.
“I was – and still am – incredibly grateful that a stranger could be so generous to give someone they don’t know a piece of themselves to save their life,” she said.
“I would not be here today without that incredible generosity.”
As part of the transplant process, Isabel underwent intense chemotherapy and total body irradiation – radiotherapy over her entire body – twice a day for four days.
“The goal of this was to essentially destroy my bone marrow so that my body didn’t produce any stem cells, so that my donor’s cells would actually take and not be rejected,” she explained.
Isabel received the transplant on 4 September 2021 before beginning a long recovery journey.
“It took a long time to get better after the transplant,” she said.
“It was a very difficult time, but so worth it for the life I get to live now.”
Reflecting on the experience, Isabel said she initially felt uncertain about the risks involved.
“I was scared and unsure,” she admitted.
“My mum and I went back and forth over the benefits of the transplant with other patients and mums on the ward in the months leading up to it.”
Isabel was informed of the significant risks before the transplant, including being told she had a one-in-four chance of death at the age of just 21.
“I was given a 50% chance of success, a 25% chance of transplant failure and a 25% of death, which was a lot to process at 21,” she explained.
“In the end, I had to trust my medical team that it was the right call and had decided that the risk of my cancer returning was greater than the risk of the transplant not working.”
Isabel said that although doctors prepared her thoroughly, nothing could truly prepare her for the intensity of the treatment.
“My medical team prepared me really well,” she explained. “We had a big talk where they went through all the risks and side effects of the transplant, and you have to sign the consent forms.
“I also did my own research before, which really helped too, as I went into it aware of every possibility.
“All of this knowledge did not actually prepare me for just how difficult it was going to be – I don’t think there was anything that really could.”
Isabel explained that her recovery after the transplant was “very difficult”.
“I was an inpatient in hospital for a month or so and suffered quite badly from side effects,” she said.
“I got quite bad gut graft-versus-host disease, where the donor’s cells attack the recipient’s body as they recognise the body as not their own.”
Despite the setbacks, Isabel said knowing someone had donated their cells for her kept her going.
“The whole transplant and the time following for many months after it was very hard,” she said.
“It taught me a lot about resilience and willpower. There were times when I didn’t want to continue.
“It was actually knowing that my donor had given me her stem cells so that I could live and get better that kept me going.”
Although the transplant was a success, Isabel continues to live with long-term effects.
“I went into early menopause, developed new allergies, was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and had recurrent autoimmune haemolytic anaemia,” she said.
Although these complications mean she may never feel completely “normal”, Isabel said things have improved over time.
“Having a transplant taught me so much that I now really value as parts of myself,” she said.
“It taught me how to remain motivated when it’s the last thing I want to do, how to be resilient and continue to get up when I’m knocked down.”
Isbael added: “Life is so delicate and this experience really demonstrated that to me. I am a much more optimistic person for it.”
Isabel also hopes to challenge the misconceptions about stem cell donation.
“The biggest one I can think of is how the stem cells are removed from the donor,” she explained.
“I always thought this would be a really painful procedure and directly involve the bone marrow – likely from watching Grey’s Anatomy – but in 90% of cases it is just like giving blood.”
Isabel said she feels immense gratitude towards donors and the people who choose to join the register.
“I am grateful to my donor beyond words,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her – I quite literally owe her my life.”
She added that hearing about other Islanders who donate, like Beth, is particularly meaningful.
“It’s even more special and amazing that Beth has donated, as I knew her years ago at school,” said Isabel.
“It makes me feel really proud of my community to know that there are people here who are so incredible and kind, and are saving lives like mine.”
Like Beth, Isabel hopes that sharing her story will encourage others to consider joining the stem cell register.
“I am only here today because my donor decided one day to sign up to the stem cell register,” she said.
“That decision saved my life, and you could do the same for somebody else. You could be the reason that one less person dies from cancer or autoimmune conditions.”
Isabel added: “To anyone who does decide to sign up or already has, I have the utmost respect and gratitude to you.
“All I can say is thank you for doing for someone else what my donor did for me.”
