African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust

African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (commonly referred to as ACLT) is an independent charity based in the UK which strives to provide a life line for those suffering from blood related cancers such as Leukaemia and other life-threatening disorders. The ACLT aims to raise awareness on stem cell, blood and organ donation within UK population, with a particular focus on the Black and Mixed race communities. They work closely within this area due to the severe lack of individuals signed to the registers from these communities.

History

The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust was co-founded by Beverley De-Gale OBE and Orin Lewis OBE in 1996, after they received the news that their 6-year-old son, Daniel De-Gale, had been diagnosed with leukaemia. Daniel's only hope of survival was to receive a stem cell transplant; stem cells have racially specific characteristics therefore Daniel's donor could only be found from the black or mixed race population, of which only 550 were registered - this translated into a 1 in 250,000 chance of finding a matching donor for Daniel. When confronted by these facts and figures, it became apparent to both Beverley and Orin that there was a need for an organisation to galvanise awareness and increase the number of donors. Orin and Beverley channelled their anxiety of discovering their son had a form of cancer into a goal of creating a better future for people suffering with Leukaemia and other blood-related disorders. To achieve this, the charity was founded to raise awareness and to enable potential donors to come forward and donate, allowing them to go on and potentially become a lifesaver.

In 1999, after three years of campaigning alongside his parents for donors to come forward and join the bone marrow registry, Daniel became the first black person in the UK (aged 12), to receive a lifesaving bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor.

In 2008 the development of the organisation into a leading national blood disorder and cancer charity started to take place, enlisting major corporate support and having already established patrons and trustees, such as the first winner of the television programme The Apprentice Tim Campbell^[1] and ex-world heavy weight boxing champion, David Haye.^[2] On 8 October 2008, Daniel De-Gale, aged 21, died due to further health complications.^[3] An uplifting spirit was evident amongst the congregation of family, friends, celebrities and well-wishers attending Daniel's funeral, that it was almost inevitable that the many tributes from that day would morph into a lasting legacy.^[4] Since 2009, October has marked 'Daniel De-Gale Blood Donation Month'- a monthlong campaign where the ACLT request members of the British public, particularly from African and Caribbean backgrounds to come together to donate one unit of blood en masse by joining the NHS Blood register. This, alongside numerous other recruitment drives and initiatives the ACLT conducts, has been paramount in raising the base level of donors from the hundreds to tens or thousands.

The ACLT continue with their life saving work of spreading awareness surrounding stem cell(bone marrow), blood and organ donation within ethnic minorities, with the sole purpose to increase the number of ethnic minorities registered on the stem cell, blood and organ registers.^[5] Over the last 19 years the ACLT have recruited over 60,000 individuals of all ethnicities to the stem cell registers (Anthony Nolan, DKMS UK and British Bone Marrow Registry), with approximately 70% of these potential donors being from an African or Caribbean background, and have also saved over 60 individuals lives through finding bone marrow donors. The work of ACLT has actively helped to improve the odds of BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) patients finding a stem cell match, receiving blood or receiving an organ through transplantation, though statistics as they stand today are still shocking. Today, a Black, Asian or ethnic minority who is in need of a stem cell transplant has less than a 20% chance of finding the best possible match from an unrelated donor, whilst a White British patient in the same position has a 60% chance. Statistics surrounding black and ethnic minorities in regards to Organ donation and Blood donation are also worryingly low, and so ACLT aim to raise awareness within the Black and Mixed race community (particularly) in all three donation areas.

ACLT not only aim to sign up new, potential donors, but they also ensure that patients and family members of patients are supported through the diagnosis process and treatment right up to successful completion of treatments.

Celebrity involvement

Over the years the work of ACLT has been supported by a number of celebrities and high-profile people such as the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson,^[6] Ian Wright,^[7] David Harewood,^[8][9] Alesha Dixon,^[10] Colin Salmon, Chucky Venn,^[11] Reggie Yates,^[12] John Barnes,^[13] David Haye,^[14] John Fashanu,^[15] Wretch 32,^[16] Dereck Chisora^[17] and many more. Spoken Word artist George The Poet^[18] and young actors Percelle Ascott^[19] of 'Mandem On The Wall' are the most recent to become ACLT Youth Ambassadors.

In October 2014, Tinchy Stryder and the Chuckle Brothers released a single "To Me - To You (Bruv)" to raise funds.^[20]

Awards and achievements

Since the beginning of ACLT Beverley, Orin, Daniel and the charity as an organisation have had much recognition for their work, having received highly prestigious awards and achievements. The ACLT saw its first major national recognition in 2006, when the charity received a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Special Achievement Award. Beverley and Orin were both awarded with an OBE on the Queen's Birthday in 2011 and New Year's 2012 Honours List by the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary, in recognition for Services to Healthcare respectively.

References

External links

• Official website