RAF Base Hosts 'Turkey Run' To Encourage People To Join Stem Cell Register

An RAF base in North Yorkshire has used its annual 'Turkey Run' to encourage the Armed Forces community to sign up to the stem cell register.

The event at RAF Fylingdales was used to raise awareness after the daughter of a Ministry of Defence Police Officer at the base was diagnosed with a life-threatening blood condition called aplastic anaemia, earlier this year.

The condition means the body's bone marrow stops producing enough new blood cells - red, white and platelets.

In the case of Tina Hodgson's daughter, Evie, 8, her immune system is unable to fight infections and urgently needs a stem cell transplant.

After a campaign on social media, Evie’s family found a perfect match but the donor pulled out at the last moment.

"We were back to square one," Ms Hogdson said. "It was probably as tough as the day [of the] diagnosis, to be honest."

However, as personnel at RAF Fylingdales set off for the run dressed as superheroes, Ms Hodgson took to social media to announce they had found two suitable donors.

"It’s the best Christmas present," she said in the online clip.

Speaking to Forces News, Evie said it "was just the best thing ever" to receive the news.

Asked how the run went, Wing Commander Alun Walton, Station Commander at RAF Fylingdales, said it was "cold, wet, but ultimately worthwhile".

"I think everyone’s got a smile on their face afterwards knowing it’s all, hopefully, in a good cause," he added.

Thanks to Evie’s campaign, more people have been signing up to the register and two people have successfully been matched with donors.

Only 2% of the UK population is signed up to the stem cell register despite the procedure for donating stem cells being fairly similar to blood donation.

The best stem cell donors are often young, fit males - a demographic similar to much of the military community.

Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with some form of blood cancer and at any one time, there are around 2,000 people in need of a blood stem cell transplant.