Huge response from trade over stem cell donation plea for Margot Martini

By Ellie Bothwell

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Leukemia

Yaser Martini: 'I have been humbled by the response to the campaign - the leisure industry is as much a family as an industry'
Yaser Martini: 'I have been humbled by the response to the campaign - the leisure industry is as much a family as an industry'
More than 12,000 people in the licensed trade have registered their interest in stem cell donation over the New Year, after the industry was urged to ‘Register. Swab. Save a life’ to help save the life of a child with leukaemia.

The call came just before Christmas from PubAid director and entrepreneur Yaser Martini whose 16 month old daughter Margot has a rare form of leukaemia and needs a stem cell donor from someone with a similar tissue type as hers in order to survive.

The appeal, supported by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser​ and M&C Report​, has received backing by a number of operators and suppliers to the industry, resulting in an unprecedented number of potential donors registering their interest in blood stem cell donation with Delete Blood Cancer UK.

Watch the video of the campaign for Margot:

Yaser Martini said: "We are truly inspired by the number of people who have recognised both how easy, and how important, it is to sign up to support people like our baby daughter Margot.

“I have been humbled by the response to the campaign – highlighting the fact that the leisure industry is as much a family as an industry. I feel privileged that our story has touched so many people who have either helped to broadcast the message or become donors. It is like oxygen to us that there has been this initial impact, but we are still seeking a perfect match and urgently welcome ongoing support”.

James Cuthbertson, principal of Instinctive PR, for which Martini is a board member, added: “The donor appeal campaign is an ‘absolute good’ in that there's potentially something for everyone. Of course, the Martini family wish is that amongst the new registrants, there might be someone who provides a perfect match for Margot, but time is fast running out - they only have a few weeks before a donor transplant is required.”

How to register

To register as a stem cell donor visit Delete Blood Cancer UK​ for a DIY swab kit, or attend two donor registration days on:

London
Sunday 2 February
Between: 10am – 4pm   
at Sheen Montessori Nursery
Palewell Common Drive
London SW14 8RE

Wolverhampton
Sunday 23 February
Between: 10am – 4pm
The Mount Hotel
Mount Road, Tettenhall Wood
Wolverhampton, WV6 8HL

Show your support for Margot via Twitter at @swab4margot.

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