FINDING the perfect match is something that is always on Ryan McGeough's mind these days – but his 'matchmaking' search has nothing to do with romance.
The 34-year-old from Portstewart has been spending his time in a more selfless pursuit: recruiting people to the register of donors for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, thus increasing the chances of cancer patients finding a 'perfect match' for a life-saving transplant.
His quest has taken him around sports clubs, schools, university campuses and GAA grounds across Northern Ireland, seeking out healthy 16 to 30-year-olds who could, unknowingly, be "the cure" for a stranger dying from leukemia, lymphoma or the rare aplastic anemia which affects just three in one million people in Europe.
Such has been his commitment that Ryan, along with Amy Devlin, an equally dedicated member of the Queen's University student society, Belfast Marrow, picked up awards at last night's national Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards (ANSAs) held in the House of Commons, London.
Ryan, who owns outdoor-wear label Portstewart Clothing Company, and Queen's medical student Amy, from Magherafelt, were both highly commended: Ryan was shortlisted for the Shirley Nolan Special Recognition award and Amy for the Simon Dyson Volunteer of the Year.
The Belfast Marrow group was itself a finalist in the Recruiter of the Year section.
As president of Belfast Marrow, Amy personally nominated Ryan, for his "dedication and zero-fuss attitude" – and also for being a "donor recruitment machine".
Thanks to both award recipients, the number of people on the Anthony Nolan register has pushed past the 1,000 mark for the first time. Now, the aim now to reach 2,000 – which could, effectively, save the lives of 20 people.
The duo's successful strategy in encouraging more people to sign up has been grounded in the simple message that donating stem cells, which can be extracted from either the bone marrow or directly from the blood, is a pretty straightforward yet still misunderstood procedure.
"Bone marrow is the soft, jelly-like tissue that is found in the hollow centre of all large bones," Amy explains. "It contains stem cells which are essential for blood production. There's no big operation or invasive procedure involved – and no lasting effects for the donor, as stem cells renew themselves within a couple of weeks.
"The important message to get across is that today, less than 10 per cent of people donate bone marrow under general anaesthetic – 90 per cent of donors will be able to donate through the PBSC (peripheral blood stem cell collection) technique, which is a simple outpatient procedure similar to giving blood."
Amy became involved with Belfast Marrow six years ago after being struck by the thought that someone who needs a transplant might have a match somewhere, yet donor and patient are never united.
"One of the key drivers, for me, is knowing that matches may not know about the register, or could believe myths about donation," she says. "Also, the opportunities and experiences I’ve had along the way have been amazing. It’s allowed me to do things that I never thought I could or would do – from running seven marathons, to leading a group, and having the genuine privilege of getting to be part of such a special community."
With just one in 100 donors going on to be a match, it makes sense to have a wide data base – although, in Ryan's father's case, the perfect match was found closer to home.
"My dad's life was saved by his own brother who was able to donate stem cells – there is a one-in-four chance of being a match, if you are a brother or sister," he says.
"He had a successful transplant 10 years ago when he was suffering from aplastic anemia, and he hasn't looked back. I play in goals for the footballers at Eoghan Rua GAA in Derry and yet I think sometimes my dad now has more energy than me.
"I realise, though, that we were very, very fortunate, and other people are dying needlessly because they cannot find their match."
That thought keeps him driving to GAA clubs from Armagh and Antrim to Derry and back in all weather for two days each week, encouraging more young adults to put their names forward and take the initial cheek swab to register.
"I have been going to GAA clubs because people there are very community-based and they look out for each other," he adds. "It’s an ideal place to get people involved – there are about eight teams per club, so you could have 100 players, all the ideal age [for donation].
"It is tragic to think that somewhere in the world someone could be waiting for a life-saving transplant but then run out of time, just because they never find their match. I always tell people that you could be the cure for someone's cancer – you just don't know it yet."
Belfast Marrow is one of Anthony Nolan’s 50 university-based groups and has a three-pronged approach: raising awareness of the charity, raising funds and encouraging people to join the register.
There is an urgent need for more donors aged 16 to 30 to sign up, according to Amy Bartlett, regional register development manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, who described Belfast Marrow as "an incredibly vibrant, dynamic and successful group".
"Every 20 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer and around 1,800 people in the UK need a bone marrow – or stem cell – transplant each year," she said.
"With this in mind, the work of tireless volunteers like Ryan and Amy is invaluable. We really want to grow our activity in Northern Ireland and we are always looking for opportunities to forge new partnerships, engage new volunteers and reach out to potential life-saving donors.
"We only recruit 16 to 30-year-olds and are keen to work with more schools, colleges and sporting groups to involve them in this growing life-saving movement. It really is an amazing opportunity for young people to contribute positively to society and make a difference to the lives of others."
:: To find out more, visit anthonynolan.org or follow Belfast Marrow and Anthony Nolan on Facebook.
