Brave Amber donates bone marrow

A BRAVE young waitress from Hinckley has donated one litre of her bone marrow at a Sheffield Hospital, in the hope of saving a young person’s life.

20-year-old Amber Tillson, who works at The Art Cafe, Cast Street, put her name down on the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow register following a talk at her former school, John Cleveland College, when she was 18.

The waitress, who has also helped staff at the popular cafe raise £285 for the trust, was called up to try to save the life of someone suffering with blood cancer.

Amber said that she was “proud and honoured to have a chance to save someone’s life who had blood cancer.”

She added: “I was nervous about going under a general anaesthetic, but the doctors and nurses and registrar looked after me. They were very thankful for my donation, putting it into perspective how crucial it is.

“I was surprised to get the call when I had only been on the register for two years. There is a myth that bone marrow donations are painful procedures, but I was just a bit achy and sore. I now hope that my donation is making a difference to the recipient.”

Amber has urged other residents to sign up to be a potential donor, adding that “signing up is easy and painless - just a saliva test.”

For more information or to sign up to donate, visit www. anthonynolan.org/