George’s story: A perfect meeting with a perfect match

Moments before 15-year-old George rang the end of treatment bell at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust he was surprised by Kimmy – the person who anonymously donated the stem cells that saved his life! Kimmy was one of only a few perfect matches for George on stem cell lists across the world and she underwent a procedure to donate her stem cells via bone marrow in December 2021.

In January 2021, when George was 11 years old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. ALL is a cancer of the blood cells and is the most common leukaemia in children.

George had a very rare form of ALL with a specific genetic change in the leukaemia cells making it very aggressive and resistant to standard chemotherapy. A bone marrow transplant at Sheffield Children’s was the only option for George to recover. With the support of stem cell charity Anthony Nolan, a perfect donor match was found for him in Kimmy who lives in London.

Before his transplant George had to have CAR-T Cell therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. This highly specialist treatment involves removing T cells from the body and altering them in a lab so that when they are returned to the body, they can attack cancer cells. This treatment was a success and meant that George’s body was in the best place possible for the bone marrow transplant to take place when he returned to Sheffield Children’s.

George said: “You’re awake when you have the transplant and I can remember a strong smell of sweetcorn! It’s been a complicated and tricky time but the doctors and nurses have all been amazing and throughout the experience I’ve always had the mindset of just cracking on so I could get back to being myself. Life is so much better now, and it’s been brilliant to meet Kimmy today. She’s given me another chance to live and meant that moments like today can happen.”

George’s hair, skin and saliva will always be made of his DNA, but if you were to take DNA from George’s blood it would now show as Kimmy’s DNA, connecting them in a remarkable and special way.

Kimmy Strelley, George’s donor, said: “I joined the Anthony Nolan register 13 years ago after my friend’s son needed a bone marrow transplant. He is fully recovered now, and I had forgotten I had signed up until I got a call three years ago saying that I was a match for someone who needed a transplant.”

George’s diagnosis and treatment happened during COVID-19 which meant Kimmy had to isolate for a month before and after the procedure. During treatment and in the months and years after treatment, donors and recipients and their families must remain anonymous, but they can write to one another which Kimmy and George and his family did before meeting.

Kimmy said: “I was so excited to be given the chance to donate but I also felt a lot of responsibility because I really cared about helping the person I was donating to. I didn’t know it was George then, but I really hoped it had worked and that he was okay. I always say that I’m only one piece in the puzzle of George’s recovery and having the chance to donate to help him has been the best experience. Being here three years later I just feel so proud of George. I think everyone should sign up to the register.”

Due to the nature of the treatment and the isolation periods patients go through after a bone marrow transplant, they often see their consultants and nursing staff more than some of their friends and family.

Dr Katherine Patrick, consultant paediatric haematologist at Sheffield Children’s, said: “Caring for patients like George is a huge privilege. George has always been an absolute delight and embraced everything that’s come his way. He’s had such a positive mindset towards his recovery and couldn’t wait to get back to his active lifestyle. I’m so pleased to see that he’s playing football again and able to do the things he loves, including abseiling off a railway bridge to raise an amazing £1,600 for the Children’s Hospital Charity!

“Whenever bone marrow arrives at Sheffield Children’s from an unknown donor it’s amazing to think that a caring stranger has donated it the day before. There really are very few opportunities in life to save another person’s life but that is exactly what Kimmy has done for George.”

Anthony Nolan adoptee and stem cell transplantation quality manager at Sheffield Children’s, Eleanor Leaney, said: “It’s thanks to donors like Kimmy that Anthony Nolan can continue to facilitate lifesaving stem cell transplants and give patients with blood cancers and blood disorders a second chance at life, continuing the pioneering work started by Shirley Nolan 50 years ago this year.

“I hope seeing the photos of George and Kimmy ringing the bell today will encourage lots of people to sign up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register so that more patients like George can survive and thrive.”

George – who is named after the IVF consultant who helped his parents conceive after 20 years of trying – is now looking forward to lots more football and adventures with his family including his twin brother Stephen and mum and dad, Christine and Steven.

You can find out more and sign up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register by visiting www.anthonynolan.org.