 | | Appeal Flyers |
Kevin Phelps remains critically ill in Sandwell Hospital, as the days left to find him a suitable donor passes by. He has acute myeloid leukaemia and has not responded to two courses of chemotherapy. Kevin's only hope is a bone marrow transplant, but the search for a donor is further complicated by the lack of African Caribbean people on the donor register. There are half a million people registered as bone marrow donors in the UK, only 15,000 are of African, African Caribbean or Mixed Parentage descent. In order for Kevin to have a successful transplant, his donor must come from the same ethnic background as him. If you want more information on the process of being a donor, or have any other queries please contact the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) on:
 | | Lorna Brown - Appeal co-ordinator |
0208 667 1122 or visit www.aclt.org Why is there a lack of Black donors? The issue around the lack of Black donors remains unsolved. But in order to help people like Kevin Phelps, a Black man who can only be saved by a Black donor, the reasons behind African and African Caribbean people not registering themselves need to be addressed. A massive leaflet distribution campaign was in force all day at One Stop shopping centre in Perry Barr, a popular shopping area for Birmingham’s African Caribbean community. Family and friends spoke to shoppers about Kevin’s condition and the importance of becoming bone marrow donors.
 | | Vincent Lewis |
I asked shoppers in Perry Barr why they think there’s a shortage of Black donors. Vincent Lewis – Kevin Phelps Kong-Fu Instructor “To be honest, I don’t think the Black community are aware of the situation. And if they are, they probably think ‘It won’t happen to me’. Black people tend to stay in their own circles, and give their support and rally around each other in a crisis”. June Thompson
 | | June Thompson |
“Our parents who came to this country have never been up to date with medical advancements. So they never passed on the importance of these things to us as 2nd 3rd and 4th generation, African Caribbean’s living in the UK. “I think with knowledge and more of us being in the medical field, we would be able to look at what’s happening with our blood samples, as a lot of Black people are wary of how their DNA is being used”. Jermaine Clarke
 | | Jermaine Clarke |
“They don’t know where their information is going. I’ve spoken to people about this issue, and their suspicious of how their personal information is used and where it’s going. So their general attitude is ‘I can’t bother with that’”. Andrew Wisdom “There is a lack of trust. Black people don’t have any communication skills amongst themselves, in terms of getting information across, and people are still unaware of other health issues affecting us such as Sickle Cell. “The media does not put enough issues concerning our community and our health out in the public domain. That’s why we need to take control and look into our own health”.
 | | Andrew Wisdom and Sharleen Tlou |
Sharleen Tlou “Trust is a big part of the problem, and some Black people are just scared. Plus there is a fear that through the registration process of becoming a donor they will uncover other health issues”. Kevin's Plea from his hospital bed “I’d basically like to tell everyone, definitely the Black community to come forward, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t.” YOU COULD SAVE KEVIN’S LIFE You can be a donor as long as you are in generally good health, between 18 – 43 years of age. NO SURGERY INVOLVED. JUST A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST TO REGISTER AS A DONOR JUST ATTEND ANY OF THE FOLLOWING VENUES Saturday 11th February 11a.m – 4pm, at The Drum, The Seminar Room, 144 Potters Lane, Aston Birmingham B6 4UU. Friday 17th February 9pm – 2a.m at The Sapphire Conference and Banqueting Centre, 215 Bradford Street, Digbeth B12 0RG.
GET THERE, GET INFORMED, GET TESTED. IT COULD BE YOU!
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