Decorated RAF pilot appeals for stem cell donor

A decorated RAF veteran has described finding himself "needing help from other people" after being diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disorder and being told he needs a stem cell transplant.

Former RAF Chinook pilot Chris Gordon, 43, received a medal for gallantry from Queen Elizabeth II in 2013 for his work saving lives in Afghanistan.

Now the veteran, from Manchester, is launching an appeal for a stem cell donor after being diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia, an extremely rare blood disorder.

Doctors have told Gordon that he needs a transplant and he is now working with the blood cancer charity DKMS to encourage more people to register as stem cell donors.

Gordon was given the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving the lives of 31 British and Afghan troops.

He used his helicopter to shield them from enemy fire before airlifting them to safety despite losing an engine during the attack.

He is now living in Los Angeles and working as a director at a helicopter company.

Gordon has been told that he needs a transplant within the next few months.

His brother Jonathan, from Manchester, was found to be only a partial match so medics are scouring global stem cell registers in the hope that someone will be a full-match.

DKMS said finding a matching donor is linked to ethnic heritage, and only a small proportion of people on the stem cell register are from an ethnic minority background.

This means that people such as Gordon, who is half-Jamaican, have less chance of finding their lifesaving match, the charity said.

Gordon, who spent 14 years with the RAF, lives with his wife and two-year-old daughter and is expecting a baby boy within the next few weeks.

"In Afghanistan I saw courage and leadership at their best; people stepping forward when others needed help," he said.

"It was something I tried to do wherever I could.

"Now I find myself needing help from other people.

"A potential donor could be anyone, anywhere in the world. But I need them to join the donor register so they can be identified as a match."

He added: "I really think that if you're OK giving blood, you can donate your stem cells.

"People don't know that they can do this, and they don't know the impact that it could have.

"The actual sign-up process is so easy, and most people will never even be called up. But if you are a match, you could save the life of someone like me, and it is probably much easier than you think."

DKMS said that signing up to its register is a "simple process", involving just a few health questions and some cheek swabs, which can be ordered for free from the charity's website.

Spokesperson Bronagh Hughes said: "For Chris, and patients like him around the world, the right person joining the stem cell donor register could give them their lives back.

"We are so grateful that he has chosen to share his story to encourage more people to sign up as potential donors.

"Signing up only takes a few minutes, but one day you could be called to give someone a second chance.

"Take a look at the DKMS website to find out more and order your free kit today; you could save a life."

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