De Montfort University kicks off stem cell campaign to help save lives

By Jake Olner

Students were yesterday (TUES JAN 30) urged to help save lives by signing up to the national stem cell register at De Montfort University’s Students’ Union.

The Anthony Nolan stem cell register is part of the Leicestershire UNItes campaign in which volunteers are aiming to register as many students, staff and members of the community as possible.

Ahtesham Mahmood, President of DSU and head of the event, held in Students’ Union building, said: “It directly helps people in that the more people we get on to the register, then numerically we’re going to get better chances of finding a match for someone who needs it.

“This is why events like this one at our campus, which is so richly diverse, is really important because we can take advantage of that, get them on the register, then have a wider impact into areas that are currently lacking.”

Anyone who registered could be a potential match for someone with blood cancer and could save a life.

Mr Mahmood added: “Every 20 minutes someone gets diagnosed with blood cancer and obviously the more people we get onto the register, the better.”

To join the register, willing volunteers between the age of 16 and 30 simply had to allow specially trained volunteers to take them through a quick cheek swab and fill out their personal details.

Student groups within De Montfort University were encouraged to sign the most people with a cash incentive of £250 – the winner had not yet been announced.

The University of Leicester and Loughborough University are also be taking part in this life saving Leicestershire UNItes campaign.

Mr Mahmood said: “It’s all about being there for each other.

“I wanted to use the generosity that these clubs and societies omit.”