Bunbury stem cell donor campaigner still searching for match

Peter McCleave, 41, initially launched the 10,000 Donors campaign, which was later increased to 100,000

A man who was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer six years ago has encouraged more than 100,000 people to join the stem cell donor register but he has yet to find his own match.

Peter McCleave, 41, from Bunbury, Cheshire, was given seven years to live after being told he had myeloma.

The campaign has found 19 matches so far but the wait to find a suitable donor for Mr McCleave continues.

"The chance of finding a match for me is slim," the father-of-two said.

"But it doesn't need to be that way for everybody."

In 2019, his then eight-year-old son Max wrote a letter that went viral, in the hope of finding a blood stem cell match for his father.

"I was told that it was quite aggressive and, if I was lucky, I'd see out the next seven years," he told BBC North West Tonight.

"So where we are today in 2023 is kind of the pointy end of that particular conversation.

"Now that did come with a caveat, the caveat being that if I could find someone to donate me their stem cells, then I had every opportunity, although not of curing my blood cancer, but of extending the amount of time I would have.

"Then hopefully medicine, scientists can catch up and potentially find that cure."

Peter McCleave, pictured with his family, says he is determined to help others

What is myeloma?

Multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma, is a type of bone marrow cancer.

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue at the centre of some bones that produces the body's blood cells.

It is called multiple myeloma as the cancer often affects several areas of the body, such as the spine, skull, pelvis and ribs.

Treatment can often help to control the condition for several years, but most cases of multiple myeloma cannot be cured.

Research is ongoing to try to find new treatments.

Source: NHS

Mr McCleave has been raising money and awareness since his diagnosis, launching the 10,000 Donors campaign.

He later increased that target to 100,000 after smashing the initial goal.

The 41-year-old has now launched the Gob for Good campaign to get people from mixed race and minority ethnic backgrounds to sign up to the register.

He said that while he had "let go" of his hopes of finding a match himself he was still determined to help others in the same situation.

"It's not that I don't believe that they are out there," he said.

"I know there is a match out there, but I'm also realistic about the odds.

"Those patients who need the match today, I can help, I can influence and if my match comes along in the meantime…amazing."

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