A Burnham-On-Sea cancer sufferer’s search for a bone marrow donor appears to have been successful after a German man was identified as a ‘perfect match’.
Burnham-On-Sea.com reported last month that Jo Burridge-Clayton had been diagnosed with a rare chronic myeloid leukaemia which cannot be treated by drugs and therefore she requires a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
Jo – who is pictured with husband Cllr Peter Burridge-Clayton at Sunday’s Civic Service in Burnham – says she is “hugely relieved” by the development.
She told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “A 33 year-old German man has come forward and appears to be a perfect match for my blood type. He is undergoing various tests and I should have the transplant in September.”
“I’m booked in for September 8th for radiotherapy and conditioning before the transplant itself the following Friday.”
She added: “I won’t know the identity of the man, however I have been told that I will be able to send him a thank you message.”
Peter and Jo say they have “very touched” by the amount of people in the Burnham and Highbridge area who have come forward to offer being donors and help.
Jo added: “There are lots of people on the waiting lists like me and sadly almost half of them do not get a matching donor and some die. It’s therefore a very surreal time for me. That’s why charities like the Anthony Nolan group, who help to save the lives of people with blood cancer, put out appeals for more people to come forward as donors.”
“Young men in particular are needed as donors because they have more bone marrow. Giving bone marrow is not a complicated procedure – it’s just like giving blood.”
