Star players from Cheshire Phoenix basketball team got involved with the Gob For Good campaign this week to help the fight against blood cancer.
“Got a mouth? Be a hero” is the tagline used by Gob For Good to encourage people to swab their mouths.
James Brice, General Manager for the Cheshire Phoenix, said, “This is a really great opportunity for the players to get involved in a cause close to the community of Cheshire.
“It’s great to see the players so engaged and up to help out the cause.”
This quick and easy process identifies your blood type which Gob For Good keep on their stem cell register. If someone with blood cancer requires a donor, they could match with your blood type.
Only 0.4% of the world’s population are registered as stem cell donors. This campaign is asking for that number to increase.
Pete, a Gob For Good ambassador and blood cancer patient, said, “Gob For Good is all about raising awareness for stem cell donation and the simplicity of how you can become a donor if you are aged between 16 and 55.
“The problem we’re trying to overcome at the moment is a lack of diversity. If you are white european, there’s a 70% chance you will find your donor match. However, for other minority ethnic races, it plummets to around 30%.
“There is a health inequality there and there’s only one way we can get it fixed: if we all act and do something about it.”
All the players and staff are now on the stem cell register after successfully completing their swabs.
Will Neighbour, Center for the Cheshire Phoenix said, “It feels really good to have now done my swab and hopefully we can find a match in the near future.
“I now potentially have the chance to save someone’s life.”
19 lives have been saved since the campaign started and over 100,000 people have registered themselves as donors.
To order your own swabbing kit or donate to their cause, visit their website:
