The charity Anthony Nolan is searching for more local heroes in Chatham & Aylesford to join their bone marrow register in the fight against blood cancer. Championed by Tracey, this search is underway as the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register has been mapped across the UK by local area for the first time.

The charity has revealed today that, in Chatham & Aylesford there are 590 selfless people willing to donate their stem cells, or bone marrow, to save the life of a stranger. More than 525,000 people are currently on the Anthony Nolan register and the average per constituency is 796.

Anthony Nolan, now in its 40th anniversary year, was the world’s first bone marrow register. The blood cancer charity has been saving lives for four decades by matching remarkable people willing to donate their bone marrow to patients in desperate need of a transplant. Two thirds of UK patients will not find a matching donor from within their families; instead they turn to Anthony Nolan to find them an unrelated donor. But the charity can currently only find a match for around half of those who to come to them in desperate need, and they still urgently need more people to come forward.

Tracey has joined the fight against blood cancer by sharing their superhero selfie for Anthony Nolan to show their support and champion the register in their community.

Tracey says: ‘I have 590 heroes on the register here in Chatham & Aylesford but the challenge continues. I am encouraging people to sign up today, so we can fight blood cancer together. It is something truly heroic to give a stranger a second chance at life. This is why I’m proud to champion this cause to my constituents.’

Ann O’Leary, Head of Register Development at Anthony Nolan, says: ‘We are delighted that Tracey has been inspired to encourage others to sign up as donors. Donating is an incredibly selfless thing to do and will give someone with blood cancer their best chance at survival. What many people don’t realise is that it is also surprisingly simple.’

To join the Anthony Nolan register you must be 16-30 and in good health. It involves filling out a simple online form and spitting into a tube.

The charity needs heroes of all ages to champion the register at a local level and help us spread the word – from schools, communities and workplaces to your own friends and family. Be a hero – find out how you can help by going to www.anthonynolan.org/superhero