Stars from the world of sport and TV have joined the family and friends of Northampton schoolboy Matt Herbert to launch the potentially life saving Matt’s Match campaign.
15-year-old Matt, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in December 2008, faces a race against time to find a suitable bone marrow match for a life saving transplant operation.
After his diagnosis in December the Northampton School for Boys pupil endured several rounds of chemotherapy and went into an early remission - but the teenager’s leukaemia returned this September and Matt’s survival now depends on a bone marrow transplant.
Matt, a pupil at the Northampton School for Boys who is currently undergoing chemotherapy and regular blood and platelet transfusions at Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital, said: “This time the doctors have said that the chemo is even harsher and there will be two rounds and then a bone marrow transplant, radiotherapy and steroids. What’s even worse is I have just had to celebrate my 15th birthday here and I now have to carry on studying for my GCSE's – harsh!
“All my mates, family and friends, school, rugby club and Northampton Saints have been such a big support to me all the way through this journey and I am glad of this opportunity to thank them all. Please attend one of the Recruitment Clinics, take all your family and friends with you. If you’re not a match for me there are many other people who, each day, find themselves in the same situation as me – please help to reduce their worry of whether a suitable match might be found.”
Since the return of Matt’s leukaemia, friends, family and local celebrities have rallied around – determined to launch Matt’s Match Campaign and hopeful they will find a bone marrow match for the teenager. Supported by The Anthony Nolan Trust – a charity which connects patients with donors – Matt’s Match Campaign is firmly focused on holding and promoting a series of bone marrow recruitment clinics in and around Northampton throughout November and December 2009.
Stars from the local sporting world – including lots of Saints players, Stephen Peters from Northants County Cricket Club and players from the Cobblers – have joined Matt’s Match Campaign. Matt, a keen rugby player and member of the Old Northamptonians Rugby Club, has inspired many of the county’s sporting icons.
Another top name to lend his well wishes is Northampton born actor, Matt Smith – aka the new Doctor Who – who said:
“Matthew and I grew up in the same street in Northampton just three houses apart. Although he is younger, we both played ball games in that same street but his was a rugby ball and mine a football. We both went to the same junior school and secondary school and we even share the same name. Matthew is such a kind, intelligent and fun loving young man and so it is extremely important to me, personally, that he has all the support and help he deserves with his current illness. He desperately needs a compatible bone marrow donor and I would ask you please to support him by taking a simple saliva test to see if you are the one who may be able to help him.”
For details about the campaign click here– or to find out more information about joining the register, click here.
