For the last few years every 4 months me and Al head into the city together to give blood. Before we started going together I must admit I’d been too chicken to go alone. For so many years I had been meaning to go. You know, when that ‘I need to...' thought pops into your head, you think about it for a minute and then before you know it, it’s gone and life goes on. The best intentions with the worst follow up.
It wasn’t just fear of the needle (it still gets me every time) but lack of planning and actionable accountability. That’s why I’m really happy it’s now part of our routine. We go, give blood, drink coffee and eat snacks, and then treat ourselves to more food at one of our favourite restaurants, all the time happy that we have potentially saved someone’s life. A great day out! In fact I usually come away wishing I could go more often.
That’s why I wanted to get involved in this campaign.
Anthony Nolan is a pioneering charity that was the first bone marrow register in the world. This campaign, cheekily named #IGiveASpit, is highlighting just how easy it is to get onto the stem cell transplant list and have the chance of actually saving someone’s life.
Now I have to once again admit I have always been a little scared of signing up as a stem cell donor, but after watching this video it seems the process is very similar to giving blood. So easy - I never knew! And it’s even easier to sign up. You can watch the video to find out more.