LOCAL people have been supporting a family’s quest to find a stem cell donor for their son.

Seventeen-year-old Charlie Dugdale from Liskeard has been diagnosed with the serious blood disorder aplastic anaemia.

He’s now receiving regular blood and platelet transfusions, but will need chemotherapy and a blood stem cell transplant in order to fully recover.

Finding a suitable donor is a challenge, and Charlie is of mixed English and Asian heritage, which makes locating a match even harder. The current pool of potential donors from minority or mixed-ethnic communities is relatively small.

Liskeard Lions Club, together with the Anthony Nolan charity, staged a donor rally event at the Public Hall where people were invited to have a simple swab taken and join the stem cell register.

Despite terrible weather, there was a very good turnout, said Kim McVeigh – a family friend of the Dugdales who is helping organise the recruitment drive.

“We think we got about 120 people through the door, of those there were about 40 under 30, and the rest 30s to 55s.”

Charlie’s mother Danielle and father Duggie say they were blown away by the support shown: “We’re so grateful to everyone who came on Saturday, and there were others who couldn’t come but who ordered swabs. There were people there that I had never met, most were complete strangers, but that they were willing to try is amazing.”

Charlie’s mother added: “We even had people come down that couldn’t be swabbed, one man was 74 but just wanted to give us his best wishes. The important thing for me was that Charlie also came down at lunchtime and it was so good for him to know that people have got his back, it showed him how loved and supported he is.”

It has been a tough time for the family since Charlie’s diagnosis in early November. Danielle, a district nurse, took his blood tests herself and within hours Charlie was at Derriford receiving transfusions: his blood count had dropped from a normal 125 to just 45.

“At the moment we are in a limbo, waiting on test results, waiting on Charlie’s genetic testing and for a donor,” she said.

“Our lives were flipped upside down on the 2nd November and we don’t know when they will flip the right way back again.”

The next donor rally will be at Liskeard Rugby Club this Saturday and Sunday (December 3 to 4) as the games are being played.

Further events will be held at Plymouth University on December 17 and at Tavistock Rugby Club (date to be confirmed).

The process for having a sample taken is very quick and easy, and takes about five minutes along with filling out  a form on paper or online.

Despite what people may think, if you are found to be a match for someone in need, and willing to donate, there is now no need to undergo an operation.

“Now it’s a blood donation via a machine similar to dialysis,” Kim explains.

While absolutely anyone between 16 to 55 years is encouraged to come along, Kim says they’ve chosen the Rugby Clubs and university as they really want to encourage the younger age group under 30.

“It’s the younger potential donors that are really desperately needed,” she said.

Meanwhile the ‘Built Different’ Facebook page and Charlie’s story on the Anthony Nolan and DKNS websites are helping spread the word to thousands of people each week, hopefully encouraging more people to consider signing up to the stem cell registers run by the two charities. The latest clip on the Facebook page shows the word is spreading: it’s from all the fighters at Sheffield City Amateur Boxing Club, who have all signed up to be potential donors.