Hull MP calls for young men in Hull to help save lives

Diana Johnson MP is calling for young men in Hull to do something special.

The Hull North MP has joined other politicians in pledging to recruit at least ten men each between the ages to 18 and 30 to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.

Anthony Nolan is a pioneering charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancer. Every day, they use their register to match remarkable donors willing to donate their blood stem cells to people who desperately need potentially lifesaving transplants.

However, there is a shortage of young male donors on the bone marrow register. Men aged 18-30 account for 80% of donations, but make up just 19% of the register.

Presently, Anthony Nolan can only find a matching donor for half the people who come to them in desperate need of a lifesaving transplant so this summer they are aiming to recruit 10,000 more young men to the register.

The Hull North MP plans to write to youth groups, colleges and other community groups in Hull as well as raising this with young people she meets around the constituency over the coming months. The MP will be making a particular effort to enlist the support of male students at the University of Hull.

Anthony Nolan has provided every MP with a unique code to give to constituents so the charity can track how many young men MPs have recruited. Young men in Hull interested in the chance to save someone's life should go to www.anthonynolan.org/mp and enter the code 'Y8MR'.

Diana Johnson MP said: "After the kneejerk claims from some recently about the UK's 'slow-motion moral collapse', especially on the part of young following the recent rioting by a criminal minority, it would be great for young people in Hull to answer back by registering with Anthony Nolan to save lives.

"With around 1,600 people in the UK needing a potentially lifesaving stem cell transplant, young men who register their support with Anthony Nolan will be giving patients and their families the greatest gift of all the hope of life.

"Young men in Hull interested in the chance to save someone's life just need to visit www.anthonynolan.org/mp and enter the code 'Y8MR."