A 31-year-old from Lincolnshire is calling on people to sign up as stem cell donors, with the charity Anthony Nolan, after being diagnosed with an acute blood disorder following the appearance of a strange rash on his legs after a Parkrun.
Dan Chapman, who splits his time between home in Holbeach and London, where he works, spotted small, dark red spots that didn’t itch. Days later, he was in hospital receiving an urgent platelet transfusion, after another run.
“I’m someone who runs, but I don’t call myself a runner. I’d gone for a five-mile run feeling perfectly fine. Less than 24 hours later, I was having a transfusion. That’s how fast life can change,” says Dan, who is currently receiving treatment at Nottingham City Hospital.
Dan had noticed other small signs—unusual tiredness, bleeding gums, and dried blood on his pillow. After doing what he calls “the millennial thing” and Googling his symptoms, he became concerned. A trip to the GP and a rapid blood test confirmed his fears: his platelet count was critically low. Doctors told him to get to A&E immediately.
“I missed the call; they said if I didn’t answer, they’d send an ambulance. That’s when it hit me—this was serious.”
Dan was driven to hospital by his dad and what followed was a whirlwind of tests, transfusions, and a terrifying collapse on the ward after developing a high fever. Doctors eventually diagnosed Dan with aplastic anaemia, a rare and life-threatening condition where the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells.
“They did a bone marrow biopsy and couldn’t get a proper sample,” he says. “It turned out there just wasn’t enough marrow left to take. My bone marrow had failed.”
Dan has been told by doctors that he needs a stem cell transplant: a treatment to introduce healthy stem cells from a donor into her bloodstream to grow and produce new blood cells. The transplant may be his best chance to get back to his hobbies, which include getting to as many gigs as possible and running.
Dan’s brother was tested in case he could donate his stem cells but, sadly, is not a match. He faces an agonising wait for news of a matching stem cell donor so he can have treatment.
In the meantime, Dan has teamed up with Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of the stem cell register and highlight the need for more young people aged 16-30 to sign up.
According to the charity it was able to help around 1,400 people with blood cancers and blood disorders last year. However with more than 2,000 patients in the UK start their search for a matching stem cell donor each year, the charity urgently needs more people to sign up.
Charlotte Cunliffe, director of register development says: “Dan being open about his experiences as he starts his search for a matching stem cell donor will inspire many people to sign up and, potentially, save a life. Every person who joins the Anthony Nolan register could give people, like Dan, a second chance of life.
‘We’ll continue to support Dan, and his family, during this difficult time and echo his call for people to sign up as stem cell donors. Currently, young men make up only 14% of the Anthony Nolan register yet they account for more than 50% of stem cell donors. Nobody should face a long wait for news of a match – a stem cell transplant from a stranger, yet to sign up, could be their only hope.”
Despite the seriousness of his condition, Dan has tried to keep a positive attitude.
“I just thought, there’s no one to be angry at. It’s not something I did. I’ve been given this diagnosis. I can’t run away from it. It’s not like an email that I don’t want to respond to. I can’t outrun aplastic anaemia—it’s there whether I like it or not.”
“The idea that someone out there could be a match, someone I’ve never met—it would mean everything,” he says. “I’m living my life in here, but it’s not the life I want. A transplant would mean I could get back to doing the everyday stuff: running, going to a show, meeting friends after work. Just being normal again.”
Dan is encouraging people to take the first step and sign up as a stem cell donor. To sign up with Anthony Nolan people need to be aged 16-30 and in good general health. Most people on the stem cell register will never come up as a match – but those who do could give hope to people like Dan.
“You don’t need to be scared of the process,” he says. “You do a swab. You might be called in. It’s a day or two in hospital, and you could save someone’s life. Just do it.”
Despite the challenges of treatment, including long hospital stays and the loss of independence, Dan has stayed grounded. He spends his days pedalling on a portable bike, watching old episodes of The Real Housewives, and occasionally being caught dancing in his hospital bed by unsuspecting nurses.
“Sometimes I just put my headphones in and pretend I’m in a club,” he laughs. “It keeps me going.”
He’s also been touched by the wave of support from family and friends. “I’ve always thought of myself as a bit tough, not too emotional,” he says. “But the messages, the cards, the care packages… It’s overwhelming in the best way. It’s reminded me who I have around me.”
For now, Dan is focusing on recovery and keeping his spirits high. But his message to others is clear:
“You never think you’ll need something like this. But if you’re the one person who could be a match—not just for me, but for anyone—please sign up. Because that one swab could give someone their life back.”
People aged 16-30 can join the Anthony Nolan register online at anthonynolan.org/donatefordan.
Those unable to join the Anthony Nolan register, or are aged 31 and over, can support Anthony Nolan and its partnership with Omaze, which is giving away a stunning house worth £4 million – along with £250,000 in cash – to raise money for the charity. To be in with a chance of winning the spectacular four-bed home in Cheshire, while also supporting Anthony Nolan, visit omaze.co.uk.
