Dying man in bone marrow campaign

20 May 2008 05:51am

A terminally ill journalist is taking his campaign for better education on bone marrow donations to Westminster.

Adrian Sudbury, who has been told he has just weeks to live, hopes to meet Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson to encourage them to incorporate teaching on bone marrow transplants into the National Curriculum.

The 26-year-old from Sheffield was diagnosed with leukaemia 18 months ago and underwent a bone marrow transplant as part of his treatment.

He said: "What I'm asking Ed Balls and Alan Johnson for is a 30 or 40-minute talk to every sixth form or further education college on how easy it is to donate.

"My local MP Kali Mountford has been in touch with their people and they seem really keen to meet me. This is a really important issue. There are thousands of people waiting for a transplant in the UK and around the world. It's a very straightforward way to tackle a major problem."

After being told last Wednesday that his bone marrow transplant had failed, Mr Sudbury chose to end treatment and spend his final weeks with his family.

Despite the failure of his transplant, he remains committed to promoting bone marrow donations through his online blog, and through a petition campaign with his former colleagues at the Huddersfield Daily Examiner.

"Things were looking really good professionally, everything was going great. I've dealt with it now, but it's so sad for my family. They're just absolutely devastated," Mr Sudbury said.

"I'm not here to force people down to the clinic. It's all about education and changing perceptions. It seems like the last decent thing I can do. This is a bit of a chance for me to create a lasting legacy."

Ms Mountford, who will accompany Mr Sudbury on his trip to Westminster, said: "If someone like him can do so much and be so inspirational it might send a message to other young people better than any politician or someone older can."

© The Press Association