'I've got to stay strong, despite cancer anxiety'

Time is of the essence for 54-year-old John O'Connor, from Telford, who is living with stage four blood cancer.

Mr O'Connor was diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma called Sezary syndrome in 2022.

He is in urgent need of a stem cell donor, but his Jamaican heritage is complicating the process.

"I've had depression and anxiety because of the condition I've got, but I've got to stay strong and focused and that's only thing that's driving me each day," he said.

Mr O'Connor is receiving treatment to keep his condition under control, but he said the anxiety of living with the disease was taking its toll, noting how a common cold "could kill me".

While he continues his search for a donor, his treatment requires him to take strong medication that has affected both his physical and mental health.

"I could write a book about different hospitals because I have visited so many," he said.

He struggles to carry out day-to-day tasks and regularly sleeps during the day as he feels "constantly tired, fatigued and worn out".

The treatment has also affected his skin: "I wake up in the morning and my skin is white, because it's that dry and tight."

"I think that people are looking at me and once you've got that in your head, you can't get it out," he added.

Mr O'Connor is of Jamaican descent so a compatible donor for him is likely to have African or Caribbean heritage.

He was left in a state of shock when he found out his identical twin brother could not donate, as he was "too much of a match".

The pairs' cell make up is the same, therefore Mr O'Connor's condition would not be cured if he received a transplant from his brother as the disease would continue to take over the new cells.

Patients in the UK from ethnic minority backgrounds have half the chance of finding a matching donor on the stem cell register compared with people from white European backgrounds.

Mr O'Connor is set to start a new treatment in January and hopes this will help to relieve his pain.

"I'm hoping 2025 is going to be my year, I'm hoping somewhere out there is a match for me," he said.

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