A WOMAN from Newport who suffers from a rare form of cancer is urging people to sign up to become stem cell donors after she was given a “second chance”.

Amy Williams who lives in Rogerstone in the city, is a mother of two young children and wife to her Police Constable husband.

She was diagnosed last year with a rare form of Myelofibrosis – a type of blood cancer – and given a prognosis of just four years.

Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer and the register of stem cell donors – who are needed to save thousands of patients’ lives – does not currently meet the demand.

A keen runner, Mrs Williams noticed that something wasn’t right when she began to struggle to complete distances which she would normally have cleared with ease.

“I eventually had to stop running entirely as there was nothing in the bank,” she said.

“I later learned this was due to the condition causing insufficient production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.”

She decided the best course of action was to see her GP who conducted a blood test.

“The results showed I had half the red blood cells the average woman should have,” she said.

South Wales Argus:

“I was later diagnosed with Myelofibrosis.”

Mrs Williams went on to explain that she had been informed that the chances of finding a stem cell match, “my only chance of serious remission”, were 1 in 3.

“I turned to the blood cancer charity DKMS to help me find my potential lifesaver,” she said.

“I’ve been luckier than most and a match was found within a few months of the search commencing.”

Mrs Williams has now had her stem cell transplant and is recovering at home. However, she is now urging others to join the stem cell donation register so that more people can be given a second chance.

“The process isn’t as scary as you might think,” she said.

“About 90 per cent of blood stem cell donations are made through a peripheral blood stem cell collection (similar to giving blood) and only around 10 per cent are made via bone marrow.

“I can’t thank my donor enough – I don’t know who they are but would love to meet them in person one day.

“They’re giving me a second chance at life. They’re giving my children their mother back.”

To register as a blood stem cell donor, visit dkms.org.uk/en