On 1st June, Hannah celebrated her first birthday…that is, her new bone marrow’s first birthday!
On 1st June 2023, Hannah received a stem cell transplant, having being diagnosed with a serious blood condition called Aplastic Anaemia in October 2022. A stem cell transplant was Hannah’s only hope of a cure.
When searching for a stem cell donor, teams often turn to a patient’s immediate family, particularly siblings. However when Hannah’s sister Gemma wasn’t a match, the team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre worked with Anthony Nolan, the stem cell register, to find her another suitable donor, eventually sourcing a donor from Switzerland.
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, whilst specialising in treating cancer, is also the region’s centre for bone marrow transplants and treats two or three patients a year with Aplactic Aneamia – it’s a very rare condition.
On celebrating 365 days since her transplant, a real milestone, Hannah says: “The past year has gone really quickly and I’ve been focusing mainly on my recovery. I’m still taking a lot of medication, which comes with side effects but I’m now only coming to appointments at Clatterbridge every three weeks, so life is slowly getting back to normal.”
Whilst she was ill, Hannah and her family’s life was put on hold. But over the past year, she’s been able to enjoy simple pleasures again. “I’ve been able to really get involved in Christmas and my daughter’s third birthday since my transplant – whilst I was ill, I just spent these special occasions lying on the sofa. I also got to be a bridesmaid for my best friend recently, something I couldn’t have dreamt of doing just after I was diagnosed.”
“I’ve started working again too, having only just gone self-employed as a fashion stylist when I was diagnosed, and I’m looking forward to seeing friends who I couldn’t meet with due to the risk of infection whilst I was more vulnerable.
“Fundraising is also going to be a big focus for me over the next few months too and I’m running the London Marathon in 2025 for Anthony Nolan, the stem cell charity through which my donor was found. So getting my fitness up and looking after my health will be a priority.”
Consultant Haemato-Oncologist Dr Muhammad Saif is Director of the Stem Cell Transplant Unit at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust and is part of the team responsible for Hannah’s care.
He explains: “A stem cell transplant is a very complicated intervention, requiring coordination of multiple teams in the region, national and international donor registries. There are over 42 million people on the donor register worldwide so finding the right person and getting their stem cells here to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre involves a collective effort.
“As well as being a specialist cancer centre, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is also the regional facility for non-cancerous stem cell transplants and we are experts in treating blood conditions of this type.
“Hannah came to us with a very severe form of aplastic anaemia and radical treatment was needed in order to save her life.
“I’m delighted that she’s doing so well and has responded positively to her transplant. Her recovery is testament to the support of her family as well as the many people behind the scenes who have made her stem cell transplant possible.”
Find out more about the process of having a stem cell transplant and meet some of the team who work with patients with blood cancer and other serious blood conditions here.