I’ve been no very well.. but I feel fine now that my sister has saved my life
Panto legend thanks sibling for helping him fight leukaemia
Comedy legend Andy Gray and his sister Michelle have always been close… but now they share an even tighter bond than the one that comes from being siblings.
When the River City star was diagnosed with leukaemia, Michelle stepped forward to donate life-saving stem cells.
One year on from his cancer diagnosis, the panto favourite is feeling well and looking forward to returning to the stage.
And he says he owes it to Michelle, 52, and the medical teams who helped save his life to do all he can to raise awareness of stem cell donation.
Andy, who turns 60 later this month, said: “After I was diagnosed with leukaemia, I was told by my doctors that if I didn’t have a stem cell transplant, I would be lucky to survive for two or three years.
“I’ve got two sisters and, of them, Michelle was a 100 per cent match for transplant. She became my donor and I owe my life to the stem cells she gave me.
“Ten years ago, someone my age withh leukaemia wouldn’t have been able to havee a stem cell transplant but, thanks to advances in medical science, I was.
“One of my panto catchphrases has always been, ‘I’m no very well.’ My goal this winter is to return to the panto and tell the audience, ‘ I’ve been no very well but I feel fine now.’”
Andy, who starred in hit shows includingg City Lights and Naked Video, was diagnosedd with blood cancer last July after weeks off feeling run down.
At the time, he was getting ready to putt on a show, Junkies, at the Edinburgh Festivall Fringe with pal Grant Stott.
When tests revealed how ill he was, hee had to pull out of the performances andd drop out of his role as rogue entertainerr Pete Galloway in BBC soap River City. Andy,y,
who is also a comedy writer, said: “I’d felt rubbish for a while but it was a hot summer so I convinced myself I had heat stroke or the hay fever I’d had years before was back.
“We were rehearsing for the Fringe but I was so exhausted that between scenes I would lie down and sleep. When my skin broke out in psoriasis, I went to the doctor and he ordered some blood tests.
“One test led to another and, a few weeks later, I was at Perth Royal Infirmary where I was told I had a type of blood cancer.
“When I was given the diagnosis, I took it all very calmly and the doctor told me I was being very stoic. But as soon as I got outside, I just broke down.”
He told his family, including his actress daughter Clare, his partner Tamara, Michelle and his other sister Elaine, 55.
Andy, who has
appeared in panto alongside Clare, said: “Telling people was the hardest thing. The festival show had to be cancelled and I was written out of River City.” He began life- saving treatment which included regular blood transfusions, then gruelling chemotherapy. At the end of last year, he was asked if he had any siblings who might consider donating him their healthy stem cells. Michelle, a support worker for Capability Scotland, said: “As soon as it was mentioned that Andy might need a transplant, both Elaine and I offered to be his donor. “There was never any question of whether or not we would do it.” Both sisters had tests to check if they could become Andy’s donor. Andy said: “We’ve always been a close family. I didn’t know anything about stem cell donation and took it for granted that both Elaine and Michelle could be my donors. But then Elaine’s test results came back saying she was only a 50 per cent match.” Michelle said: “We were concerned. It was the next day before I got my results back and thankfully I was a perfect match.” In April this year, Michelle attended Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow where, over three days, she donated the stem cells her brother needed to save his life. Mum- of- one Michelle added: “The procedure is not a big deal. I was hooked up to a machine like a kidney dialysis machine and the blood came out of one arm, the cells Andy needed were removed, and then what was left went back into my other arm. “As the stem cells were being collected, I took a picture of them and sent it to Andy saying they were on their way.” Andy said: “At the time, I was at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital feelin feeling totally wiped out. I w was an empty shell, waiting wa for Chelle’s cells.” cel Andy A considers the date dat he received the transplant tran – April 18, 2019 – the day he was “reborn”. reb He said: “For me, that is day zero – the day d my life started agai again. I ’ ve got two birth birthdays now.” An Andy remained in hosp hospital for several week weeks while his body recovered from the transplant. More than four months on, he is delighted to be cancerfree and, while he continues to regain his strength, he is looking forward to the future. He is set to return to the panto this year, appearing alongside Clare again and his regular stage partners Grant Stott and Allan Stewart in Goldilocks And The Three Bears, at Edinburgh’s Kings Theatre. He said: “The last year has not been easy but I feel so incredibly lucky. The people who have cared for me – the NHS nurses, doctors and care assistants – have been miracle workers and I’ll always be so grateful. “When there were moments I did feel low, I would picture my little granddaughter Anna and imagine myself holding her hand and walking with her to a little swing park near my house in the summer sun. “Last Tuesday, I finally got to do that and I did feel very emotional and thankful. I’ll always be very thankful too to Michel le. She saved my life. “Cha r i t i e s l i k e Anthony Nolan and Bloodwise do such an amazing job in raising awareness of blood cancers and the need for more people to join the stem cell register. “You don’t have to be a relative of someone who is ill to donate. I feel so lucky I had a donor and want to raise awareness of stem cell donation to help those who don’t.”
I was just an empty shell, waiting for Chelle’s cells