Stem cell donation ‘least I can do’

A man who donated his stem cells in a bid to save the life of a critically ill patient has said his work at an NHS hospital inspired him to help out.

Alex Overton, 28, who works at Bradford Royal Infirmary, signed up as a stem cell donor three years ago and was later found to be “a perfect match” with a blood cancer patient.

Mr Overton said his stem cells were given to the patient days after he donated them at a hospital in Sheffield, and he still knows nothing about the recipient, other than the fact “a transplant was their best chance of survival and potentially cure”.

Mr Overton, from Brighouse, said he wanted to encourage others to follow in his footsteps by signing up as a donor.

Mr Overton, a general manager for corporate operations at Bradford Royal Infirmary, said he was inspired to sign up to the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry after working for the health service and being a blood donor for “many years”.

He explained he had to provide 12 blood samples which were then sent off for testing in the UK and USA, before he underwent further medical screening in December.

“I then heard I was the perfect patient match,” said Mr Overton, who went on to make the donation at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield.

The donation process was “pain-free – like giving a blood donation, but for a little longer”, he said.

Mr Overton said: “For patients who are critically unwell with blood cancers, without treatment they are less likely to survive.

“So, working in the NHS, I want to do all I can to help people.

“I think the most precious thing you can do is to give people more time with the family, kids and friends.

“If I can do it for one patient then I feel like I am making a difference to their lives.”

Mr Overton described himself as “a fit and healthy 28-year-old, so it’s the least I can do – and I’d like to think someone would do it for me if I needed it”.

He added: “I’d encourage others to donate. It’s rare to be found as a match, but if you are, the only sacrifice you need to give is your time.”

A stem cell transplant involves replacing damaged or diseased blood cells with healthy stem cells.

Patients who receive the cells have conditions including leukaemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers or disorders.

These stem cells are responsible for producing blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) in the body.

Mr Overton’s stem cells were collected during a six-hour donation which works a bit like a blood donation, only longer.

A cannula was inserted into each arm, with one removing blood which is then spun to separate the stem cells, while another pumps the blood back into the body.

Recovery from the procedure takes 24 to 72 hours.

The collected stem cells are infused into the patient’s bloodstream through an intravenous line a week later.

The stem cells travel to the bone marrow, where they begin to grow and produce new blood cells.

The NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry is part of NHS Blood and Transplant, and is one of a number of global registries working together to help find a match for every patient who needs one.

They also aim to make stem cell donation as accessible as possible, as the likelihood of finding a perfect match is higher when a person shares the same ethnicity.