A HUSBAND-and-wife duo from Cardiff have been hailed as ‘heroes’ at an awards ceremony hosted by the Welsh Blood Service.
Mark Williams, 31, and Jeni Calnan-Williams, 37, were among celebrated alongside a handful of other stem cell donors who were celebrated for making lifesaving donations to patients in desperate need.
Jeni donated her stem cells in 2013 while working at University Hospital of Wales, leading Mark to join the Welsh Blood Service’s stem cell registry the same year. After being identified as a potential match on three previous occasions, Mark was finally called to donate earlier this year.
Mark said: “It’s quite overwhelming to be the one chosen to help save someone’s life. It feels like an honour, and I’m just so grateful I was able to help.”
“Jeni got me into donating blood while we both worked at the hospital. She was called to donate her stem cells in 2013. I found the whole thing so inspiring that I signed up right away.
Jeni added: “It’s incredibly humbling to be recognised alongside Mark. Knowing that I’ve given someone a second chance at life is so powerful. We’re really proud to be part of a community that’s helping make that possible.”
The couple joined ten other donors who were matched with patients as the best possible candidates from a global database of over 40 million people. Stem cell transplants are often a last resort for patients with cancer or blood disorders when other treatments have failed.
Other donors honoured included Ryan David (31), Gareth Mathias (34), Nathan Grainger (38), Christopher Williams (42), and Tze Vai Chong (43) from Cardiff; and Tina Chinn (58) from Llantwit Major; Natasha Roberts (29) from Pontypridd; Erin Doyle (30) from Bridgend; Freya Yates (34) from Tonypandy; and Holly Entwistle (42) from Somerset, who previously lived in Cardiff.
Three in 10 patients are unable to find the match they need, a figure that rises to seven in 10 for patients from black, Asian or mixed-minority ethnic backgrounds. The Welsh Blood Service’s stem cell registry currently has over 70,000 volunteers ready to help.
Stem cell donor, Ryan David, was inspired by his late father, who donated blood 50 times before passing away suddenly at the age of 49.
Ryan said: “Following in his footsteps has always meant a lot to me. I joined the stem cell registry in my early twenties when I started giving blood.
“It felt like a natural continuation of the example my father set, showing that small acts of kindness can make a huge difference.”
Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said: “Every stem cell donor is a hero. Donors are DNA-matched to patients, meaning they could be the only person in the world capable of saving that patient’s life.
“Over 2,000 people in the UK need a stem cell transplant every year to have any hope of survival, yet around 600 won’t find the match they need. The only way to save more lives is to recruit more volunteers to our stem cell registry.”
The Welsh Blood Service aims to recruit 6,000 people aged 16-30 and 16 to-45 from black, Asian, mixed or minority ethnic backgrounds to its stem cell registry every year. You can join the registry by ordering a home swab kit or asking about it during your next blood donation.
The donor awards also celebrated whole blood and platelet donors who have reached significant milestones. Collectively, the donors honoured across the two nights have made more than 8,000 donations, potentially saving over 20,000 lives.
Stanwell School in Penarth received a special recognition award for its long-standing support of blood donation. Since 2015, the school has hosted on-site donation sessions for staff and students, recently surpassing 1,000 donations, potentially saving up to 3,000 lives.
A further 136 students have joined the Welsh Blood Service’s stem cell registry, including Hope Lacey, and who received an award earlier this year for making a lifesaving stem cell donation.
Stanwell staff and students also supported the launch of the Welsh Blood Service’s ‘Young Blood‘ campaign, which aims to engage more schools in blood and stem cell donation.
Alan Prosser added: “Over the past decade, Stanwell’s staff and students have shown unwavering commitment to donation. Their enthusiasm is a beacon in our local engagement efforts.
“This award is a token of our deep appreciation for their continued support and the incredible impact they’ve made.“
To find out more, visit the Welsh Blood Service website or call 0800 25 22 66.
