Sister's appeal to find match for rare blood group after brother and lifelong Sunderland AFC fan is diagnosed with cancer and "very rare" genetic blood code

Judith Thomson, 65, is appealing for blood donors to come forward in a bid to find a match for her brother John Davey after doctors told him it was “unlikely” they would find someone with the “very rare” genetic blood code.

John, who lives in Roker, was sadly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in November 2020 before undergoing intense chemotherapy.

The 63-year-old was given the all clear in April 2021 but unfortunately relapsed in March this year.

John, who was a civil servant and is a lifelong Sunderland AFC fan, was told that alongside more chemotherapy, he would require a stem cell transplant.

Judith said: “We thought he was in the clear, we were really pleased and then the cancer came back. John was told he has a very rare genetic blood code and they are not hopeful of finding a match for a stem cell transplant.

"It came as a shock to all of us, he has been doing so well this has been a massive blow.”

Judith, who now lives in Essex, hopes to find a match for her brother by asking people to join the blood donor register.

She said: “It would be fantastic if we could find a match, it would take the pressure and stress away – it can be life saving for John.

"Everyone at the Sunderland Royal Hospital has been very good and they’ve done everything they can, we just need to try and find a match.”

John’s match must be male aged between 18 to 30 and can register with Anthony Nolan, a charity which saves the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders.

Judith added: “If we can get more people registering, it might increase the chances of finding a match. The procedure is very easy and doesn’t take much time, I hope we can encourage others to help.”

You can join the Anthony Nolan register via their website here.