THE family of a teenager who died of blood cancer want lessons on bone marrow donation to be included in the new Welsh curriculum.
Cancer campaigner Emily Clark was just 18 when she died after suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Emily, of Cwmbran – who described herself as a “cancer ass kicker” on her Twitter profile – raised thousands of pounds for cancer charities in the three years she was ill after launching her blog Remission Possible.
Her family want teachers to deliver lessons on the subject to boost donors. The Welsh Government said the draft curriculum would allow children to learn a “wide range of health matters”.
“The national curriculum would be an ideal way of targeting those 16-year-olds as they hit the age to be able to join the register – education is the key,” her mother Donna said.
“You hear a lot about the postcode lottery accessing drugs. This is a bigger issue – you’ve got to find that one person who can give you a cancer-free life and if they’re not on the register you’ve got no chance.”
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Donna and daughter Holly will take part in the 2019 Westfield Health British Transplant Games opening in Newport on Thursday.
Donna said that she and her family are also set to take part in Newport’s Donor Run on Saturday July 27 – a 3k or a 5k race open to the public which is part of the Games.
“When Emily found out about the British Transplant Games, she wanted to take part,” she said. “She had never been particularly sporty but the idea of taking part at the Games really ignited something within her. Of course, we didn’t know then that it was going to be on our doorstep in Newport.”
Sadly, an ideal match was never found for Emily. She received a transplant in 2015 with the closest possible match found on the worldwide register, but it could not save her.
Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan said: “Everyone at Anthony Nolan remembers Emily Clark. Throughout her treatment, she was driven to ensuring there was a match for everyone else who needs a transplant.
“Her tireless campaigning touched so many lives and motivated thousands of people to join our register.
“Despite never finding her own perfect match, her enduring legacy means that other people have been given a second chance.”
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