Formby Pensioner Nominated For PRIDE of FORMBY AWARDS

Formby pensioner Kevin Dunne has been nominated for a PRIDE of FORMBY AWARD after raising £41,345 for Blood Cancer Charities in just three and half years. And last year organised Stem Cell Donor Recruitment Drives which signed up 496 new donors to the register.

Kevin and his younger brother Tony were inspired to set up Stemcellscousers in 2015 after Anthony Nolan found a donor for Kevin’s wife in the USA who saved her life when she was suffering from a very aggressive Leukaemia. Then In 2016 Tony was diagnosed with a Blood Disorder and needed a Stem Cell Transplant, against all the odds and to the amazement of the doctors Kevin was a miracle match for Tony just like an Identical Twin even though Kevin is two years older. Kevin then donated his Stem Cells and saved Tonys life.

Stemcellscousers is a local friends of “Anthony Nolan Group” the pioneering charity that recruits Stem Cell Donors for Blood Cancer Patients who’s only chance of Survival is a Stem Cell Transplant. The Stemcellscousers recently held a Fundraising and awareness of Blood Cancer Event at the Sainsburys Supermarket in Great Homer St. which raised £560. for the Anthony Nolan Stem Cell Donor Register. It costs £40. to recruit and maintain a new Donor to the register this will enable Anthony Nolan to recruit 14 new potential Stem Cell Donors into their HERO’S PROJECT.

Every year about 2000 UK patients with Blood Cancer need a Stem Cell Transplant as a Last Resort Treatment to Survive. Sadly only about half find that Lifesaving Donor. Anthony Nolan who has 697,000 registered potential donors and gave 1,300 Worldwide Patients a Second chance of Life last year. Dr. Amit Patel Director of The Royal Liverpool Hospitals Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s StemCell Transplant Unit said in 2018 we carried out 88 Stem Cell Transplants down from 102 in 2017 Which includes ones using the Patients own Stem Cells. One of the reasons we carried out less transplants last year was the huge worldwide shortage of matching Donors.

The Stemcellscousers were also helped by the Myeloma UK’s Merseyside and West Lancs support group lead by David Simister and engaged with over 400 members of the public Giving out information packs highlighting the early warning signs of Blood Cancer. These packs were provided by Myeloma UK a national charity offering help and support to patients and their families after a diagnoses of Myeloma .

More information on the early signs of Blood Cancer can be found at www.spotleukaemia.org.uk The Merseyside and West LancsMyeloma support group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 2pm in the Parenting 2000 on Mornington Road Southport PR9 0TS David Simister can be contacted by email on david@ainsdale.demon.co.uk

The founder of Stemcellscousers Formby based Kevin Dunne would like to say a massive thank you to Leanne, Signa and Andrew and the rest of the team at Sainsburys, and Formby Councillor Denise Dutton, David Simister and all the StemCellscousers who worked extremely hard at the event. Kevin would also like to thank all his Twitter followers, Formby residents and business who have made his events so successful without all of this fabulous support this nomination would not have been possible. Kevin is searching for more volunteers to help with his Lifesaving work. If anyone can spare just 3 hours a month Kevin would really appreciate it. You can contact Kevin by email at: kevindunne2@googlemail.com