Students sign up to life-saving scheme
NEARLY 60 students from Hinckley Academy and John Cleveland Sixth Form Centre signed up to become stem cell donors following a recruitment event at the Hinckley campus.
The event was organised by Asset - the Adrian Sudbury Schools Education Trust, which was set up in memory of a 27-year-old journalist who died of leukaemia.
His wish was that all sixth formers should be taught the facts about blood, stem and organ donation so that they could choose whether or not to sign up to donor registers and become potential life savers.
Asset co-founder Keith Sudbury said: “The students at HAJC were a credit to themselves and to the Academy.
“It is an absolute delight to come here and to work with these students. JC6 can feel very proud of their students who showed a tremendous understanding and maturity.”
All 59 students who signed up had a swab sample taken from the inside of their cheeks which will be used for tis- sue matching to potential stem cell recipients.
Year 12 student Kristian Dewis, who signed up and gave a swab, said: “Who knew being a lifesaver could be so easy?”
And Ben Marvell, also Year 12, added: “If I did get the opportunity to help save someone’s life it will make me feel so good.”
The students also presented Mr Sudbury with a cheque for £75 to support Asset’s schools campaign, using money raised from a charity bazaar they held at Christmas.
Since the Academy has been encouraging students to consider becoming stem cell donors, three students have been called up as matches.
The chance of any one person on the register being matched with someone in need of a donation is said to be one in 900.