A University of Sheffield student has surpassed her fundraising goal of £1000 and gotten a tattoo in aid of Anthony Nolan, her chosen charity.
Anthony Nolan is a charity that makes connections between patients in need and people who donate their stem cells.
Erin Dunn, 23, has been a part of the Sheffield branch of the charity, Sheffield Marrow Society, for four years.
She was inspired to start fundraising for the cause after attending the national marrow conference.
She said: “I felt inspired by the people who had a second chance at life after receiving a stem cell transplant.”
Every year, the Sheffield branch of Anthony Nolan raises awareness and funds for the cause, whilst encouraging people to sign up to the stem cell register.
As part of her fundraising, Erin decided to get a hip tattoo of the marrow logo.
She said: “The experience was really fun, but a bit nerve-wracking! I don’t think I’ll regret getting the tattoo.
“Marrow has been a huge part of my life and it feels very special to mark that time by getting a tattoo and raising money whilst doing it.”
Shortly after getting her tattoo on 28 October, she surpassed her fundraising goal of £1000.
“Anthony Nolan is really important to me. Something that seems so little as filling in a form could save someone’s life.”
Erin added: “I feel really proud of how much I’ve raised and I’m so excited for the impact it could make.
The idea to get a tattoo came as a part of the ‘Donating Isn’t Scary’ campaign, where campaigners do typically ‘scary’ things, to prove that signing up for the stem cell register isn’t.
Only one per cent of people that sign up for the stem cell register are actually matched to someone to donate in their lifetime, and 90% of those who are matched to someone donate their stem cells via a simple process similar to donating blood.
The other 10% of people matched go through a small procedure on the hip under general aesthetic.
As the current president of the Marrow society, Erin has taken part in lots of other fundraising activities, such as giving temporary tattoos, half marathons, and pub quizzes.
Her fundraising total now stands at £1028.
The fundraising page states: “Every 14 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer. For someone with blood cancer, a stem cell transplant could be their last chance of survival. Hundreds of lives are potentially saved by Marrow’s incredible work.”
To donate to Erin’s fundraiser, click here.
To sign up to the stem cell register, click here.
