Sharing the ‘Big Love’ on our Birthday

To mark our five year milestone in the UK we take a trip down memory lane and reflect on some of our achievements.

• We’ve had the pleasure of working with so many people to help find their potential lifesaver and the search continues for many others.
• We’ve worked with our partners to help spread awareness of blood cancer and encourage people to register.
• So many people have walked, run, swum or taken part in a fundraising activity in any way, shape or form to raise vital funds to help us register more potential lifesavers.
• Incredible people have registered as potential lifesavers over the past five years – nearly 350,000 of them. Thank you to those that are on standby to help potentially save someone’s life and to those who have donated to someone in need.

Meeting Your Lifesaver

Ritesh Kukreja and Hardeep Bains

A standout moment from last year was when Ritesh Kukreja, from Bhiwani, India, met his blood stem cell donor Hardeep Bains, 42, from Derby at our first ever Big Love London Gala in November 2017.

Ritesh was diagnosed with thalassemia, a blood disorder, in June 2008. He was receiving blood transfusions twice a month and was told his best chance of survival would be to find a blood stem cell donor – so the urgent search was on.

Hardeep initially registered as a potential blood stem cell donor with DKMS UK in 2013, was identified as Ritesh’s lifesaver and the donation took place in January 2015.

A Memorable Moment

Watch Ritesh and Hardeep meet for the first time at the Big Love London Gala.

To enable this element, you need to accept all cookies. Cookie settings

Hardeep said: “This is one of the most amazing things I’ve done in my life – to be able to give someone a second chance of life is truly humbling. My hope for Ritesh is that he has a great future and a great life ahead of him and to be able to wish him this in person at the gala was simply wonderful.”

Be a Lifesaver

If you would like to register, check your eligibility and sign up as a potential blood stem cell donor today. Anyone between the ages of 17-55 and in general good health can go on standby as a potential lifesaver.