Saving Lives for More Than 35 Years

When Anthony Nolan was born in 1971 with the extremely rare Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome, the only known cure was a bone marrow transplant, but without a national register, finding a compatible donor was virtually impossible.

His mum contacted her local Round Table club in Thanet asking for help, and together they formed a partnership that is still strong today.

Unfortunately, Shirley Nolan’s crusade to form a national database for bone marrow donors didn’t save her son, but together with the Round Table, The Anthony Nolan Trust has saved more than 8,000 lives since it was founded more than 35 years ago. 

Tablers across the country have worked tirelessly over the years, recruiting hundreds of thousands of donors through nationwide clinics sponsored by Round Table, as well as raising more than £1 million to build and equip new facilities, proudly named the “Round Table Laboratories” at their opening in 1978.

Round Table continues to support The Anthony Nolan Trust and this year, National President Dave Barker has chosen the charity as the official charity for his Presidential Year.

Writing on his website, he explained why: 

“As long as I live I’ll never do anything as important as becoming a bone marrow donor – I’ve had the opportunity to save someone’s life – to do something greater than anything else and it takes so little.

“The challenges faced by those needing that life-saving bone marrow to take THEIR life back from Leukaemia, is something that has touched me in such a personal way.

“The challenges faced by The Anthony Nolan Trust to make every penny work so hard to find that life-saving donor leaves me every time wanting to do more and more.”

As a small recognition of those challenges, Round Table members have challenged their president to do what he can, which so far has included a parachute jump, becoming a police riot trainer, completing an army assault course, a zip-wire, white water rafting and, appropriate for his “Sharky” nickname, swimming with sharks!

This commitment has also led to the piloting of a new "Saliva Test" pack, which Tablers can order from The Anthony Nolan Trust to recruit potential donors to the register. The pilot scheme means that people wishing to help can complete a medical questionnaire and spit in the specially produced collection pot, providing a small sample of saliva to be tested and added to the Anthony Nolan register.  This simple act could save somebody's life.

Tablers who would like to get involved in the Saliva Test pilot can order packs from The Anthony Nolan Trust website.

For more general information on The Anthony Nolan Trust, visit http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk/ or call 0303 303 0303 during office hours, Monday – Friday.