Stephen Cutts, a retired surgical instrument maker from Sheffield who survived acute myeloid leukaemia, has met the anonymous stranger whose stem cell donation saved his life. Stephen was diagnosed with the aggressive blood cancer in April 2023 and underwent seven rounds of chemotherapy before receiving a transplant from a matching donor found through the Anthony Nolan register, which connects patients with people willing to donate stem cells or bone marrow. The reunion highlights the life-saving impact of stem cell donation and the charity's work in matching strangers to save lives.

The donor, Kevin McNicholl, is a 24-year-old software engineer from Belfast who joined the Anthony Nolan register at 17 through his local Gaelic football club and donated via a non-surgical method known as peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection. In July 2026, Stephen's wife Sarah secretly arranged for the pair to meet, disguising it as an anniversary celebration; Stephen recognised Kevin instantly and the two shared an emotional embrace with family present. Stephen described Kevin as "the nicest person I've ever met," while Kevin, who now encourages others to register as donors, called Stephen "one of the strongest people I've ever met."