A cancer survivor from Sheffield has described being moved to tears when he met the stranger whose stem cell donation saved his life, after his wife arranged a surprise reunion disguised as their wedding anniversary party. Stephen Cutts, 53, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in April 2023 and underwent seven rounds of chemotherapy alongside a stem cell transplant from an anonymous donor before recovering. The emotional meeting highlights both the life-saving impact of stem cell donation and the importance of maintaining a diverse, active donor register.

Cutts's donor, 24-year-old software engineer Kevin McNicholl from Belfast, had joined the Anthony Nolan register at 17 through a recruitment drive at his local Gaelic football club, and was found to be a match when he was 21. The pair had exchanged anonymous messages and phone calls before finally meeting in person this month, with both describing it as an emotional and "incredible" experience. Anthony Nolan's director of register development, Charlotte Cunliffe, noted that people under 30 provide three-quarters of UK stem cell donations despite making up only 40% of the register, underlining the ongoing need to recruit younger donors.