Stem cells: Caerphilly boy, 11, meets life-saving donor

Doctors told 11-year-old Ryan Brand's family he would not survive without a stem cell donation

An 11-year-old boy with a rare blood disorder has met the stem cell donor who saved his life when he was six.

Ryan Brand, from Caerphilly, was diagnosed with Diamond-Blackfan anaemia (DBA) at eight months old, which led to monthly blood transfusions.

His life was transformed after a donor - 41-year-old Allan McPike - was found in Glasgow.

"He saved my son's life, you can't really ask much more," said Ryan's mother Sam Brand, 34.

Mr McPike was convinced to sign up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register by his late cousin, but did not hear anything more for 10 years.

Following his donation in 2017, Ryan is no longer required to undergo "really intense" blood transfusions every month.

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Ms Brand said finding out about Ryan's DBA diagnosis when he was still a baby was "absolutely horrific".

The rare disorder stops the body from producing red blood cells and can lead to delayed growth and put people at a higher risk of developing diseases such as cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

"They told us if he didn't have a transplant he would die," said Ms Brand.

She said she was "really excited but at the same time really nervous" about getting in touch with Mr McPike following the transplant.

Ms Brand said Mr McPike and her son got on like a "house on fire"

"I really wanted to say thank you," she said. "He's got a family of his own and something so small that he's done has made such a big impact.

"If it hadn't been for him, Ryan wouldn't be here today."

She said Ryan and Mr McPike got on "like a house on fire" when they travelled to Edinburgh to meet him in November.

Mr McPike said: "It was great. It was good to finally see him and meet the family as well. They've been through an awful lot.

"When you see the pictures of Ryan when he was really unwell to what he is now it's a massive, massive difference."

'Cajoled into signing up'

Mr McPike said he was initially persuaded to sign up to the donor register by his cousin Elaine Davidson, who had a brain tumour.

"At the time, me being scared of needles, I was cajoled into signing up… I thought 'well, I can't say no given everything that she's going through'. I went along and donated on the day."

Elaine died aged 18 in 2009, and Mr McPike said: "I think she would be very proud of being able to help someone.

"We would have given the world for someone to be able to help her, which unfortunately wasn't the case."

He said signing up to the Anthony Nolan register is "a worthwhile thing to do when you see the results that signing up can achieve".

"There's nothing really to fear about it… I always say to Sam that Ryan did the hard work, I did the easy part."