Search for stem cell donor succeeds after online campaign

Mike Brandon's fiancée set up the #Shake4Mike campaign to encourage people to join a stem cell and bone marrow register

Mike Brandon with his fiancée Kate

A potentially life-saving donor has been found for the man whose fiancée launched an online campaign to raise awareness of his plight.

Mike Brandon, 29, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in March last year, is set to have the stem cell transplant in June. Kate Robertson, 31, set up the #Shake4Mike campaign in May this year to encourage people to join blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan’s stem cell and bone marrow register.

“It is fantastic news and we are very happy,” Ms Robertson, 31, told The Independent. “The next phase is daunting – but this is still fantastic news. If we didn’t have a donor, things would be horrendous.”

The couple were told Mr Brandon would need a stem cell transplant by the end of June if he was to stand any chance of survival.

Following the launch of the campaign, Anthony Nolan saw a 650 per cent increase in people applying to join their life-saving register.