In August 2014, I discovered I was one of four shortlisted finalists in the East and West Midlands ITV region for a Pride of Britain Award. The next stage of judging is set to take place during the week commencing September 8. I was nominated for the award because of the following: • Writing a daily diary which is published in the Burton Mail to help raise awareness of blood cancer. • Spearheading the Burton Mail’s ‘Take Five Minutes’ campaign to help increase blood and bone marrow donors in the Burton and South Derbyshire area. A campaign which is ongoing and continues to grow. • Organising the BONE-shaker MARROW-thon charity motorcycle ride to raise money for Cure Leukaemia, Anthony Nolan and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity. • Raising more than £1,200 for the charity Leukaemia CARE through a used stamp collection. Donated stamps weigh in at more than 150kg. • Supporting the Anthony Nolan ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ campaign which aims to convince NHS England to review policies so that equal post-transplant care is provided across the NHS rather than different areas receiving different levels of support. • Campaigning to have Central Line Holders (a device invented by aplastic anaemia sufferer Sarah Cheeseman) made available to all haematology patients at the Queen’s Hospital in Burton. • Launching mass recruitment events for the charity Anthony Nolan following publication of their ‘Capes Vs Cancer’ league table. A table which ranked the constituency of Burton and Uttoxeter at a disappointing 515 out of 650 when it comes to the number of people on the donor register. • Helping to raise funds for numerous blood cancer charities through the sale of trolley tokens, key rings and ribbons. • Campaigning to have the subject of transplants and donors (blood, organ and stem cell) included on the school/ college curriculum. • Beginning work on a children’s book related to the theme of donors and transplants. • Achieving all of the above while undergoing intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as a stem cell transplant and spending 110 days in hospital in the past 16 months.

Watch the ITV Central News footage on my nominaiion Broadcast date: 11th September 2014 (East Midlands) news