Army veteran meets anonymous stem cell donor who saved his life following leukaemia diagnosis

“Because I was in the services all the signs and symptoms of being unwell were hidden because of being so physically active,” said Craig, who is a veteran of the British Army after 10 and a half years of service.

Craig was transferred from Frimley Park Hospital to the cancer treatment team at St. George's Hospital where he began a treatment pathway of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant.

Testing revealed that Craig’s sister wasn’t a match for him but eventually an unrelated matching donor was found on the Anthony Nolan register.

After focusing on his recovery throughout the pandemic and beyond, in 2026, Craig received an email from St. George's Hospital, about connecting with his anonymous donor. “I agreed straight away,” he said.

Although he was nervous, Craig was able to meet his donor Stephen for the first time in eight years. “Once we met, everything felt easy and natural,” he said.

“We had lunch together and discovered how similar we are. Our families were there too, which made the afternoon more relaxed. It felt like closing the book of the past and opening a new book for the future.”

“I hope that by sharing our story, a lot more people will think about joining the register,” he added.

“Donating is a gift of life. I'm the living proof that it can be a success. My donor has given me the last eight years of my life. I'm now able to see my daughter grow up. An act of selflessness saved and has given me a second chance in life.” 

Craig’s donor Stephen, from Preston in Lancashire joined the stem cell register back in 2017. “When I saw how easy it was, I signed up without a second thought,” said the 35-year-old business owner.

 “I have always felt the need to help other people, and this was the perfect way. I felt like this gave me the purpose I had been searching for.”

On meeting his recipient Stephen said: “When I heard Craig’s story, it was so empowering and being able to meet him and his family just brought a wave of strength along the way. It was inspiring and gave me a new perspective and appreciation of life.”

Rowena Bentley, head of programme and recruitment at Anthony Nolan said: “It’s wonderful to see how well Craig is doing and to see the special friendship that he and Stephen have developed.

“We know that only one in three people who need a stem cell transplant will have a match within their own family. That means two thirds rely on Anthony Nolan to find an unrelated genetic matching donor, like Stephen.   

“Anthony Nolan urgently needs more people, especially young men aged between 16-30 and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, to join our register so the charity can find more matches for patients in need.”