Neil O'Brien, MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, met with constituent Rik Basra, to hear more about his latest campaign - Leicestershire Unites.
Rik was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in 2009 and following a lengthy search for a donor, found a match in Germany with just two weeks to go of his final chemotherapy cycle. Rik has since gone on to make a full recovery and now works closely with the Anthony Nolan Charity to encourage people to join their register.
Neil O'Brien said, "it was wonderful to meet Rik and hear his very powerful and personal story. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult this must have been for him, particularly with no matches being found in this country.
The work Rik and his wife Kas have gone on to do with Anthony Nolan is nothing short of incredible, and I applaud their commitment and dedication to this crucial cause."
Rik Basra said, "It was great to meet up with Neil to discuss the work of the Rik Basra Leukaemia Campaign. I outlined how, thanks to the support of the big hearted community of Leicester and Leicestershire, we’ve collectively as a locality become the stem cell registration capital of the UK! But with match rates so difficult we cannot rest.
Our target age range is 16-30 and reducing the fear and misinformation surrounding registration and donation is key, particularly through better education. I was very heartened by Neil’s support, advice and encouragement regarding approaches to address this issue and very much look forward to working with him to save lives.”
Neil concluded, "I would urge anyone reading this (particularly those between the ages of 16-30) to visit Rik's website to not only read more about his incredible story, but to also find details on how to join the register. It really could save lives."
Rik's website: http://rikbasra.com/