Stem cell donor nearly hung up on life-saving call

A man has recalled how he nearly hung up on the phone call that led to him saving a stranger's life.

Bradley Sheldrick, 30, had completely forgotten joining a stem cell donor register, so when a charity phoned six years later to say he was a match for a seriously ill patient, he initially assumed it was a sales call.

However, Mr Sheldrick, of Colchester, stayed on the call and arranged to donate stem cells, ultimately saving the man's life.

"It was overwhelming at first, but when I heard that I was this person's only chance, the decision was easy in the end," he said.

Mr Sheldrick said he took a while to process the news after being contacted by blood cancer charity DKMS.

Blood cancers are the third most common cause of cancer death in the UK, causing about 13,000 per year.

DKMS says that at any one time, about 2,000 people in the country need a stem cell transplant.

Mr Sheldrick then arranged to donate the cells, but said the process was not at all like he was expecting.

"It's like a dialysis machine, so blood goes out one arm... then the blood's returned to you. It's super non-invasive," he said.

The identity of the recipient of Mr Sheldrick's stem cells is kept anonymous until two years after the donation, but he has been told he is a man in the United States aged between 30 and 50.

The patient has now sent him a message of thanks for giving him hope.

"It's a weird connection you feel with them. I've given them a piece of me, essentially," said Mr Sheldrick.

"They're a complete stranger, but they don't feel like it."

Despite forgetting he had registered as a donor, he now emphasises the importance of people signing up if they can.

"It's so easy to join, and if you ever do get called, you have the opportunity to do so much good," he said.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.