A young cancer sufferer has written a moving open letter to the stranger who saved her life after donating their stem cells.
Last June, student Laura Regan was told that she suffers from lymphoblastic leukaemia and that she needed a bone marrow transplant to save her life.
None of her family were a match so she signed up to the Anthony Nolan register in the hope a stranger would be able to come forward and donate their stem cells.
The 21-year-old waited for five months before a match was found and has now written an open letter to the donor, who she described as a “truly selfless person”.
In a blog for the HuffPost UK, Ms Regan from Aberdeen, wrote: “I remember sitting in the doctor’s room and being told that a match had been found for me and being completely overwhelmed.
“I don’t know anything about you, but that doesn’t matter, you agreed to donate your bone marrow and give me the chance of life; you were willing and ready to save me.
“I don’t know how I will ever be able to express in words how much that meant to me.
“I know that all of this could not have been easy for you. Most people donate via peripheral blood stem cell collection, so it’s just like giving blood, but I know that you had to donate via bone marrow harvest in a minor operation under general anaesthetic.
“Not everyone would have gone ahead with that. Believe me, I am so grateful that you did – you gave up your time, probably had to travel, re-arrange family and work commitments – and you did this all for me.
“I can’t believe that someone would actually be willing to do that for a complete stranger; you are a truly selfless person.
“When your cells arrived for me I was so excited – this was my day zero, the first day of the rest of my life, and you were making it a possibility.
“Since my diagnosis, I had simply been taking one day at a time and didn’t dare think about the future, but when I received your cells, that all changed.
“It was the first time that I felt like I really had a chance of looking forward; you genuinely gave me the opportunity to live and, as my perfect tissue match, you were the one person in the world who could make this possible.
“I knew that I still had a long way to go, but if it wasn’t for you, then I wouldn’t be going anywhere at all.”
She said the cells were infused “without any hitches” and described improving every day.
“Every day I feel a little bit stronger and that is all down to you and the wonderful gift that you gave me,” she wrote.
“I will never be able to repay you for what you have given me but I hope you know how truly grateful I am.”