FMO supports #PassItOnLeicester
The FMO is pleased to support the #PassItOnLeicester campaign, which will run throughout September to mark Blood Cancer Awareness Month, will see every corner of the Leicester and Leicestershire community uniting to save lives.
The FMO along with 30 companies and community groups will team up with the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign to host donor recruitment drives and awareness events, one on each day of the month, to pass on the vital and lifesaving message that it’s easy to donate your stem cells.
Rik’s Story
In 2011, Rik Basra got some devastating news. The acute myeloid leukaemia he had beaten two years previously had returned. Chemotherapy had worked before, but not now, this time, he would need a bone marrow transplant.
There was even more bad news for Rik, a police inspector from Leicester. Since he was Asian, he only had a 40% chance of finding a match; this is because there simply aren’t enough Asian people on the Anthony Nolan register.
Anthony Nolan couldn’t find a donor for Rik in the UK. But after a worldwide search, we eventually found one in Germany.
Rik had his transplant on Christmas Eve 2011, and has now recovered.
Since then, he’s set up the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign to raise awareness about stem cell donation and recruit new donors to the Anthony Nolan register, year after year.
Pass It On Leicester is Rik’s most ambitious campaign yet.
A Leicester lifesaver
Jack Grieves signed up to the Anthony Nolan register in 2013 at the Rik Basra Leukaemia campaign event at Regent College, Leicester. Jack went on to donate in May this year and gave a complete stranger the chance of life.
Now he’s supporting the Pass It On campaign as a Leicester lifesaver.
‘I would like to thank for the Basra’s for bringing stem cell donation to my attention, and letting me know how easy it is. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be on the register and wouldn’t have had the unique opportunity to save a stranger’s life.’
‘It’s such an easy, pain-free process; it was just like giving blood. In fact, the worst bit was the boredom!’
‘I would encourage all the young people in Leicester to go down to one of the events and sign up. All you have to do is fill out a form and spit in a tube – it takes five minutes. And who knows? You could save a life like I did.’
Where can I sign up?
1. Tuesday 1st Sept8am to 5.30pm Leicestershire Police
2 Wednesday 2nd Sept 8am to 5.30pm BBC Radio Leicester
3 Thursday 3rd Sept12pm to 3pm Leicester Mercury
4 Friday 4th Sept12pm to 3pm George of Asda
5 Saturday 5th Sept12.30pm to 4pm Leicester Hockey Club
6 Sunday 6th Sept11am to 5pm Sabras Radio
7 Monday 7th Sept9am to 5pm East Midland Trains
8 Tuesday 8th Sept1pm to 7pm The Curve Theatre
9 Wednesday 9th Sept12pm to 3pm NHS Blood & Transplant
10 Thursday 10th Sept11am to 3pm Leicester City Council
11 Friday 11th Sept12pm to 3pm Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO)
12 Saturday 12th Sept10am to 4pm Leicester Cathedral
13 Sunday 13th Sept11am to 4pm East Midland Ambulance Service
14 Monday 14th Sept10am to 6pm Leicestershire County Cricket
15 Tuesday 15th Sept10am to 5pm Highcross Shopping Centre
16 Wednesday 16th Sept11am to 4pm Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service
17 Wednesday 16th Sept4.30pm to 7.30pm Leicester Progressive Synagogue
18 Thursday 17th Sept8.30am to 2.30pm Next
19 Friday 18th Sept10am to 3pm St Paul’s Catholic School
20 Saturday 19th Sept9am to 4pm Leicester Tigers
21 Sunday 20th Sept10am to 3pm GTB Gurdwara – Community Centre
22 Monday 21st Sept8am to 2.30pm Fosse Business Breakfast Club
23 Wednesday 23rd Sept10am to 5pm Girlguiding Leicestershire
24 Thursday 24th Sept10am to 5pm The University of Leicester
25 Friday 25th Sept10.30 to 2.30pm Beauchamp College
26 Saturday 26th Sept2pm to 6pm Leicester City Football Club: Leicester v Arsenal – 12.45pm
27 Saturday 26th Sept4pm to 7.30pm Leicester Riders – 7pm
28 Sunday 27th Sept10am to 3pm Leicester Royal Infirmary
29 Monday 28th Sept10am to 2pm Wyggeston Queen Elizabeth 1st College
30 Tuesday 29th Sept10am to 2pm Regent College
31 Wednesday 30th Sept8am to 2.30pm De Montfort University
For more information on the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign:
RikBasra.com
Like Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign on Facebook
Follow Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign on Twitter
Find out more about what being a Leicester lifesaver means at www.anthonynolan.org/register
Don’t forget to spread the word by using the hashtag #PassItOnLeicester
– See more at: http://www.anthonynolan.org/how-we-help/raising-awareness/pass-it-leicester#.dpuf
