An inspiring teenager who has battled leukaemia three times in her 18-year life time has launched an appeal for stem cell donors.
Laura Campbell, 18, from North Connel, near Oban, was first diagnosed with the condition in 2001. She relapsed in 2006 and again in March 2016. During her treatment, Miss Campbell received a stem cell transplant – remarkably, despite what she was going through herself, she pledged to herself that she would help others in the same position.
And she stuck to that promise.
Miss Campbell, who now studies HNC in Administration and IT at Argyll College UHI, launched a recruitment drive – Laura’s Appeal – at Oban High School in 2016 to appeal to young people across the area to join the Anthony Nolan register and help save a life, leading to 212 people signing up for the cause.
Now two years on, she is determined to continue to help others through hosting a second recruitment event at the local based High School – two years to the day since receiving the lifesaving treatment.
Miss Campbell said: “After the success of the previous campaign, I have been determined to build on this, and have helped out at a number of events across Argyll and Lochaber. The stem cell register is extremely important to the treatment of a number of types of blood cancer, and my aim is to promote the joining of the register through explaining my own story.”
The event, being held on October 1, aims to promote awareness of the condition as well as recruit potential donors for patients battling the disease.
Miss Campbell has enlisted the help of the fire service once again, a force which has a long running partnership with the Leukaemia charity Anthony Nolan.
More than 10,000 people have so far joined the register through their recruitment drive; with 31 of those going onto provide potentially lifesaving stem cell donations.
John Sweeney, Watch Manager at Oban Community Fire Station added: “Laura’s Appeal was hugely successful two years ago, and we were absolutely delighted when Laura got in touch about running this years recruitment event at Oban High School.
“The partnership is constantly growing across the country with more and more schools coming on board.
“Oban High School have been hugely supportive to both the partnership and Laura in the past, and it’s great to be back again. This years event will take place at Oban High School next Monday, and I’m sure it will be another hugely successful recruitment drive.”