AS we enter New Year, we are full of good intentions and resolutions about what we are going to do in 2015.

Here is something that will only take a minute, but could make a big difference to someone – register to be a stem-cell donor.

Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a blood cancer.

Contrary to what you might expect, only 30 per cent of those can find a donor from within their own family.

One of my closest friend’s sons is critically ill with relapsed leukaemia, he is as poorly as it is possible to be and has just discovered that none of his family are a match.

By registering as a donor you could help to save the life of someone suffering from a wide range of blood cancers.

I didn’t realise just how painless the process is, you just have a cheek swab to be registered on the database. If at a future date you are a match for someone in need, you will be contacted and asked to donate some stem cells.

Here is the thing that may surprise you. In the majority of cases, this is no worse than when you give blood. You have a small needle in your arm, the cells are separated from your blood and that is that… what could be easier?

So why don’t you take five minutes now and sign up, it really is that simple and you will have done an amazing thing that could change a life.

This link tells you all that you need to know, go to deletebloodcancer.org.uk/en right now. Thank you very much – good deeds don’t get much easier than that.

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2015.

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