UK stem cell donor saves cancer patient halfway around the world

A cancer patient has travelled more than 10,000 miles to meet a UK stem cell donor who saved his life.

Luke Melling, from Melbourne in Australia, travelled across the world to meet stem cell donor Alastair Hawken, from Grantham in Lincolnshire.

Mr Melling, 31 was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma as a teenager and had exhausted all treatment options. In 2022 he was told that his only hope was a stem cell donation.

Stem cell donations can only work when the donor and recipient have matching tissue types.

Luke Melling (right) travelled from Melbourne, Australia, to Preston to meet his stem cell donor Alastair Hawken (left) (Caters Photographic)

Mr Melling said the moment he discovered that his sister was not a match was “terrifying” and no matches were found across Australia, so a search was launched on international stem cell registries.

Searches revealed that Mr Hawken would be a suitable donor.

The 51-year-old had been listed on the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry for 14 years before he got the call saying he had been found as a match for a patient in need.

The father-of-three donated his stem cells in April 2022.

They were cryogenically frozen and shipped to Australia.

The moment I got to give him that huge hug and thank him in person is a moment I’ll never forget

Luke Melling

Mr Melling had his transplant a month later and is now back to full health.

The pair met for the first time at Avenham Park in Preston, Lancashire, on Friday.

They embraced as Mr Hawken said: “I never thought this moment would come, to meet you is a blessing, it completes the circle.”

Their story is being shared to encourage others to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry.

Blood donors aged between 17 and 40 are asked whether they would like to sign up.

Luke Melling was told that a stem cell donation was his last option (Handout/PA)

Mr Melling said: “Knowing that it was the last treatment option for me and that I was relying on the kindness of strangers having signed up to a stem cell register was really difficult. Thankfully, there was a match there – a man in the UK, who I now know to be Alastair.

“Meeting Alastair in person is a dream come true. What do you say to the person who has given you your life back by literally giving a part of themselves? There are no words but I hope he knows how grateful I am.

“Me being able to get on that plane and fly across the world is only possible because of him and the moment I got to give him that huge hug and thank him in person is a moment I’ll never forget.”

Mr Hawken said: “I started giving blood in memory of my mum, who sadly died when I was 23. She needed nine units of blood during treatment for cancer and that inspired me to give back.

Mr Hawken said joining the registry was a ‘no-brainer’ (Handout/PA)

“Joining the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry whilst at one of these regular appointments was a no-brainer.

“I didn’t really think about it again until I got the phone call, 14 years later, to tell me I had come up as a match for somebody who needed a stem cell transplant.

“I didn’t hesitate to say yes when they asked if I wanted to go ahead.

“Donating my stem cells was so simple – it was a few hours of sitting, watching TV and having snacks brought to me.

“Meeting Luke really brings home just what a difference that simple act can make.

“It’s incredible to finally get to meet Luke and his lovely mum, too. We’re bonded in a way that I can’t quite describe and meeting them both in person is really such an honour.”

It’s fantastic to see Luke and Alastair get to meet in person. They are two people who live on opposite sides of the world and yet now have this remarkable story and bond to share

Lilian Hook, from NHS Blood and Transplant

Mr Melling added: “In 2023, after the stem cell transplant, I started to feel like myself again – I ran a marathon, I travelled, I lived life in a way that hadn’t been possible for me for so long – and that’s all thanks to Alastair.

“If he hadn’t made the decision to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, things could have been very different for me now – there was nobody else who could have done what he has done for me.”

Lilian Hook, from NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It’s fantastic to see Luke and Alastair get to meet in person.

“They are two people who live on opposite sides of the world and yet now have this remarkable story and bond to share. It really does go to show the importance of stem cell donation and the real tangible difference it can make to somebody’s life.

“By joining the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, you are giving an opportunity for more patients to find the life-saving match they so desperately need – it could be your neighbour or it could be a stranger on the other side of the world but the impact on them and their families is the same.

“Joining the registry is easy – just ask at your next blood donation appointment and one day, like Alastair, you could get the call asking you to help out.”