The charity Anthony Nolan is searching for more local heroes in Edinburgh South to join their bone marrow register in the fight against blood cancer.

•

The charity has revealed that, in Edinburgh South, there are 819 selfless people willing to donate their stem cells, or bone marrow, to save the life of a stranger. More than 525,000 people are currently on the Anthony Nolan register and the average per constituency is 796.

•

Anthony Nolan, now in its 40th anniversary year, was the world’s first bone marrow register. The blood cancer charity has been saving lives for four decades by matching remarkable people willing to donate their bone marrow to patients in desperate need of a transplant. Two thirds of UK patients will not find a matching donor from within their families; instead they turn to Anthony Nolan to find them an unrelated donor. But the charity can currently only find a match for around half of those who to come to them in desperate need, and they still urgently need more people to come forward.

•

I’ve joined the fight against blood cancer by sharing their superhero selfie for Anthony Nolan to show their support and champion the register in their community.

•

We have 819 heroes on the register here in Edinburgh South but the challenge continues. I’m hunting for more crusaders to sign up today so we can fight blood cancer together. It is something truly heroic to give a stranger a second chance at life. This is why I’m proud to champion this cause to my constituents.

•

To join the Anthony Nolan register you must be 16-30 and in good health. It involves filling out a simple online form and spitting into a tube.

•

The charity needs heroes of all ages to champion the register at a local level and help us spread the word -; from schools, communities and workplaces to your own friends and family. Be a hero – find out how you can help by going to•www.anthonynolan.org/superhero

•

For the full interactive map of the UK bone marrow register (broken down by constituency), visit•www.anthonynolan.org/superhero.

•

•