Holbeach man in search of a stem cell donor who could save his life
A 31-year-old man from Holbeach has been diagnosed with a life threatening blood disorder and needs a stem cell transplant so he can have a second chance at life.
Dan Champan (31) loves to run. In May this year, after doing parkrun, he noticed a strange rash on his legs. He has also had some other symptoms, he was tired and had bleeding gums, so he decided to visit his GP, where he had a blood test.
“I actually missed the call from my GP,” said Dan. “They left me a message to say my platelets were extremely low, and I needed to go to A&E right away. They actually said that if I didn’t answer, they’d send an ambulance. I hadn’t actually realised how serious it was until that point. My dad drove me to the hospital right away, and I actually collapsed on the ward because my fever was so high, which was really scary.”
Shortly after he arrived at hospital, doctors were able to confirm his GPs fears, and diagnosed him with aplastic anaemia, a rare and life-threatening condition which prevents his bone marrow from producing enough blood cells.
Dan’s doctors also told him that he needs a stem cell transplant - a medical procedure to replace destroyed blood stem cells with healthy ones from a matching donor.
For patients with blood cancer or other blood disorders like aplastic anaemia, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor could be their only opportunity for recovery. Only one in three patients will find a match in their family, and unfortunately for Dan, none of his relatives are a match.
This means that he is relying on finding a match from a complete stranger who has signed up the stem cell donor register, but just 7% of the eligible population in the UK are signed up.
“It’s bizarre really, to think that someone out there could be a match for me. There could be a total stranger, someone I’ve never met, who has the key to giving me my life back in their genetics. Finding that person would mean everything.”
“I’m doing everything I can to stay positive and focus on getting better, but a transplant could get me back to normality. I could go back to running, spending time with my friends, seeing shows. It could give me my life back.”
Dan is working with blood cancer charity DKMS to encourage more people to join the stem cell donor register, this can be done online, or at a series of events across Lincolnshire on 20 September.
Joining the register is a simple process, involving just a few health questions, and some cheek swabs.
Once you’re on the register, if you are a match for a patient, you could be asked to come forward and donate. At any one time, there are around 2,000 people in the UK waiting for their match, including Dan. Most people will never be called to donate, but if you are matched to a patient, nine out of ten times the donation can be completed through a simple outpatient procedure, similar to donating blood platelets. DKMS will support donors through the entire process.
Dan said: “There’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of. People sometimes have this idea that stem cell donation is a massive needle in their spine, but most of the time it’s more like giving blood. It takes a few hours, you might need a couple of days off work, but it could save someone’s life, maybe even mine. Joining the register is even easier, just a quick cheek swab.”
Dan and DKMS have organised ‘Dan’s Day of Donation’ on Saturday September 20. Businesses across Lincolnshire will be holding simultaneous stem cell donor registration events, allowing people to come and complete a cheek swab to join the register.
Events will be each be ran by Dan’s family and friends, with support from DKMS. They are taking place from 10am-4pm at: Pippa's Pantry in Sutton Bridge, Unicorns and Riderz Bar and Grill in Long Sutton, Shoestring Cafe in Holbeach and The Marketplace in Spalding.
DKMS spokesperson, Bronagh Hughes, says, “For Dan, and patients like him, the right person joining the register could give them their lives back. You won’t know if you’re the lifesaver he’s been waiting for until you sign up, the process is very simple, it’s so easy to give someone a second chance. We’ll be supporting Dan’s Day of Donation, but if you’re not in Lincolnshire, or you can’t come down on the day, visit the DKMS website and we can send you a swab kit in the post. You could be the match that someone like Dan is waiting for.”
To find out more, or order a swab kit, visit: dkms.org.uk.