A SOUTHAMPTON student has pleaded for people to sign up to the bone marrow register tomorrow in the hope of saving her 14-year-old cousin who is dying from cancer.
University of Southampton second year politics and sociology student Rebecca Hall has urged everybody to go to sign up tomorrow in the hope they could be a match for Alice Pyne who has just weeks left to find a donor.
Rebecca’s cousin Alice, who lives in Ulverston, Cumbria, was struck with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma just over two years ago and now urgently needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life but a search for a match among family and friends has not been successful.
The Anthony Nolan Trust is now helping the family in their desperate search for a suitable donor.
People are urged to go along to students’ union building in Highfield between 4.30pm and 8pm.
Rebecca, 21, said: “My cousin is only 14 and she literally only has a couple of weeks left otherwise she has no hope and she is by no means the only one out there who needs help.
“Really compared to having cancer, giving bone marrow is a fairly small thing. If somebody else is unfortunate enough to be in that same situation I’m sure they would really hope somebody could help. We need this match so please come along.”
Would-be donors between 18 and 40 will have to fill out a form and provide a saliva sample, but should not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum for 30 minutes prior to giving the sample.
If they are not a match for Alice, they could be a suitable donor for others on the register.
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