In this episode I chatted with Lesley Calder, a DKMS volunteer involved with the Hertfordshire and Essex Volunteer Hub, her sister, Ann Hargreaves and Lesley’s son, Max Calder. We discussed Lesley’s experience with her diagnosis of Leukaemia, the luck of finding not one, but two potential matches in her family, Ann’s experience of donating her stem cells to Lesley and Max’s experience of donating to someone in need in America.

There’s only a one in four chance of finding a sibling match, but to have two sibling donor matches feels extraordinary and then to have another member of your family go on to donate to someone else, feels like a real blessing.

You can register to become a stem cell donor with DKMS at www.dkms.org.uk/register if you are between 16 and 55. You can sign up online, which takes moments. You’ll receive a swab kit, which you’ll need to return after doing a quick #cheekswab. Once registered, you’ll be there until you’re 61 years old. You may not ever be contacted, but if you are needed, you could give a family time together or might even save a life.

You can follow the DKMS Herts and Essex Volunteer Hub are and find out more about all that the team are up to at https://www.facebook.com/dkmshertsandessexhub

and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dkms_hertsandessexhub/

I always feel so privileged and humbled to be able to speak with such interesting and inspiring individuals on this podcast.

Magical Match is always looking for new guests to share their inspirational stories and if you are that person or those people, we would love to hear from you.

You can email me at ohbeehiveproductions@gmail.com for more information.

I hope you enjoy the listen.

In this episode I chatted with Sarah Rogers, Head of Patient Involvement and Liam Rooney, Patient and Families Manager from Anthony Nolan. We had a lively and meaningful conversation around two amazing events for families that Team Anthony Nolan participate in; Family Camp which happens each year, in partnership with Over the Wall and the Transplant Games for people who have either experienced an organ or a stem cell transplant.

Anthony Nolan’s family camp is held annually in the Midlands and is available to any stem cell transplant or CAR-T recipient under the age of 18, and their family. The event is completely free for families to attend.

The British Transplant Games is an annual event that takes place at the beginning of August and next year, it is in Sheffield and the charity offers to cover the registration costs of all Team Anthony Nolan participants, competitors and supporters.

To find out more visit www.anthonynolan.org or email involve@anthonynolan.org or call 0303 303 0303 and choose option 3.

I always feel so privileged and humbled to be able to speak with such interesting and inspiring individuals on this podcast.

Magical Match is always looking for new guests to share their inspirational stories and if you are that person or those people, we would love to hear from you.

You can email me at ohbeehiveproductions@gmail.com for more information.

I hope you enjoy the listen.

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month and in this episode, I chatted with Donor Recruitment Development Officer, Melissa Harvey from ACLT – The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust. Melissa explained about her role within the organisation and talked through what Sickle Cell disorder is and how it affects those diagnosed with what has become the fastest growing inherited genetic condition in the UK.

We talked about the sorts of symptoms you might expect someone with sickle cell to be experiencing and the importance that education and awareness plays, enabling others to act quickly, should someone be experiencing pain and potentially a life-threatening sickle cell crisis.

We talked about ACLT’s short film, One Drop – parts 1 and 2, which you can find on YouTube and the importance of blood donation.

You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_fI042zrs - part one and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3WQV4XasCw

We also talked about the possibility of a stem cell transplant being part of the treatment pathway for someone with sickle cell disorder.

It is always a pleasure and a privilege to speak with my guests on this podcast and I hope you find this an inspiring listen.

You can find out about signing up about donating blood, stem cells and organ donation from www.aclt.org Please do it today.

You can follow us on Instagram @magical_match_podcast and do get in touch, if you’d like to join me to share your stem cell story.

In this episode I chatted with Donor Recruitment Manager and Lead Organiser of The Big Cheekender, Natasha Reid and PR and Media Officer, Bronagh Hughes from DKMS.

We talked about their roles within the charity and their big event coming up on 27 and 28 September, the Big Cheekender! We also chatted more generally about Blood Cancer Awareness Month, their current campaign ‘Listen To Your Aunties’ about creating a more diverse stem cell register and the importance of being part of a chain of hope, when you join the register.

I’m very grateful to my guests, Natasha and Bronagh from the DKMS charity and if you are taking part in the Big Cheekender at the weekend, good luck!

You can find out more about The Big Cheekender, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, stem cell donation and becoming a stem cell donor at www.dkms.org.uk.

Thank you for listening.

In this episode I spoke with Andrew Foster about the stem cell journey and subsequent loss of his son, Rycroft at sixteen months, who had a rare inherited condition, called Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome.

At the time we recorded this, it was only nine months after Rycroft had died and as you might imagine, it’s an emotional and heartfelt discussion. Andrew is a passionate campaigner for change and we talked about the importance of education and the opportunity to drive up the numbers of people of the stem cell register in the UK and beyond. For listeners who are coming to terms with loss or who are in early stages of grief, a great resource for those needing support is www.thegoodgrieftrust.org

You can find out more about Rycroft’s story at www.rycroftforever.com

It's always a privilege to speak to my guests and hear their inspiring stories. Since recording, Andrew and his wife, Catherine have welcomed a baby girl to their family, Seraphina.

Andrew has also been campaigning tirelessly for change through the family’s campaign, Rycroft Forever; and thanks to Andrew, DKMS are currently working closely with the London Broncos to encourage young Rugby teams to sign up to the stem cell register.

In this episode, recorded at the end of last year, I chatted with Liam Rooney, Patient and Families Manager and Car T Cell Therapy Clinical Nurse Specialist, Emily John, both from Anthony Nolan.

We discussed the important roles they play within Anthony Nolan and the important work AN does with and for families in providing support, not just for the patient, but also the families and friends who are supporting the patient going through cancer or a blood disorder.

We discussed Car T Cell therapy, what it is, why and when it is used and the difference between Car T cell therapy and chemotherapy in terms of treatment for cancer and blood disorders.

Finally, we discussed a project Anthony Nolan has been focusing on around bereavement and grief and the impact grief has on the families and friends left behind and how the charity hopes to be able to offer more services to families who have lost loved ones on the pathway to stem cell transplant or car T cell therapy.

I’m so grateful, as always to my guests for their time, lively and informative discussion and compassionate conversation around some difficult and complex topics.

If you are interested in reaching out to Anthony Nolan for any help, guidance or assistance, you can contact them on 0303 303 0303 or, particularly if you are interested in speaking to someone around the grief and bereavement project, please email involve@anthonynolan.org

You can find out more about the charity, getting involved and signing up to the stem cell register here at www.anthonynolan.org

In this episode I spoke with Charis Ober - Executive Director and Founder of the Save the Cord Foundation based in Tucson, Arizona.

We chatted about the history of the Foundation, the importance of cord blood and all the possibilities for saving a life, including through regenerative medicine and stem cell transplants.

We also heard about the brand new educational programme, Cord Blood in the Classroom, being launched on World Cord Blood Day on 15 November 2024. I hope you enjoy the listen.

It is always a pleasure and a privilege to speak with my guests on this podcast and I hope you find this an inspiring listen.

Useful links are below:

https://www.savethecordfoundation.org/

https://www.nextgenerationcordblood.org/

https://www.worldcordbloodday.org/

In this episode, I chatted with Yaser Martini, Founder of the Team Margot Foundation. Yaser’s daughter, Margot was just a few months old, when she was diagnosed with blood cancer and needed a stem cell transplant. Due to her mixed heritage, opportunities to find a donor match were slim, so Team Margot was set up and focused on blood, stem cell and organ donation for nine years, raising thousands of pounds and helping many families dealing with a similar diagnosis.

We chatted about Margot’s story and legacy, the impact on families through the process of finding a donor match and dealing with the reality of cancer. We also talked about the importance of stem cell, blood and organ donation and touched on the All Party Parliamentary Group he has been involved with for change. Finally, Yaser spoke candidly about the winding down of Team Margot and his devotion to campaigning and advocacy.

It is always a pleasure and a privilege to speak with my guests on this podcast and I hope you find this an inspiring listen. To find out more about the work Team Margot Foundation has achieved over nine years, please take a look at www.teammargot.com