Got a spare fiver? Please help raise awareness for bone-marrow donation and Anthony Nolan by donating whatever you can - you could win a legendary MN blanket!

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello. We know many of you have been posting on misdee's thread about expat's DD Aillidh, who has leukaemia, and you have been doing sterling work to raise aware for the Antony Nolan register, and for bone-marrow and cord-blood donation.

Many of you have also been posting questions for the Antony Nolan team on our Q&A thread (answers coming soon).

And now the lovely, lovely MN blanket-makers have offered to donate one of their legendary blankets, in Aillidh's name, to prod us all to do more to help raise awareness of Anthony Nolan.

You can see some of the gorgeous blankets the MN "Woolly Wonders" have made before here.

So here's the plan...

We have created a Just Giving page, where anyone who wants to (that's all of you, though, right? ) can go to donate whatever you can manage to Anthony Nolan.

Anyone who posts on this thread (hopefully about having just visited the Just Giving page - but also about other stuff, too) will be entered into a draw to win the blanket.

We can't make donating a condition of entering the draw (for legal reasons), and we won't check who has or hasn't donated before we pick the winner, but we hope most of you will want to donate a little something - and that the chance of winning such a beautiful handmade MN-y prize will make you feel even more warm and lovely inside when you do.

Thank you for making it so easy to donate.

Done! Good idea, and all the best to Ailidh.

My husband and I are both on the BM register. He has a rarer blood type, and has almost matched once before.

I had a question for the A.Nolan people. Is there an advert/logo I can put on my website to encourage people to join the BM register?

If I win the blanket please auction it and give the funds to Anthony Nolan.

Talked to DH about this thread and Aillidh and he's signed up on the register too. He's scared of needles so this is a big thing for him.

I've donated and signed up. I've been meaning to do it for a while so well done MNHQ for spurring us on.
And good luck expat and Ailldh.

after watching my hubby fight cancer anything people can do to help by either donating money or applying to become a bone marrow donor is fantastic it is a fight worth joining even if you have not been touched by some form of cancer someone you know will have

Hi I have just donated, happy to help.

Donated a bit of cash and am looking into whether I could donate marrow!

Aw, I can't, I'm too fat. :(

I can't donate yet, as I'm breast feeding. I have made an appointment to donate in August when he'll be old enough for me to donate.
Never done it before and I hate needles, but I've felt I ought to do this for some time.

Have been on the register for over 20 years did nearly get 2 b a donor went through so more testing then heard nothing. But I am going to take my children when old enough to give blood then register to be a donor such a easy thing to do but what a reward if u could save a life

Thank you, thank you to everyone who's donated cash over the past couple of days. Mwah and to you all. We've nearly got to £900!

Hope the Anthony Nolan team have answered the Qs you had about bone-marrow and cord-blood donation. Do have a read of that if you haven't already.

And if you find you're not suitable to register to be a bone-marrow donor, please do feel free to make a cash donation instead. It all really really helps.

Wow this is such a beautiful blanket, and such a beautiful cause too - I am just off to make a donation, and to send off for a saliva kit too ... feel proud to be able to do my little but to help :) xx

Ahh just wanted to say what a gorgeous blanket. And what a nice idea for raising money and awareness of a good cause.xx

What a gorgeous blanket. Reminds me of my granny crocheting. :-)

Hi - really on the breadline and would give if I could but I have been on the donor register for at least 20 years now - so worthwhile to help someone with a gift that you cannot really put a price on. Haven't need to be called upon yet but am ready and willing.

Cant believe its gone over the £1000 mark!!!!

I think this is a wonderful idea MNHQ
I just hope it will help find donor matches for enough people and make a difference.
Its things like this that make me really proud to be a mnetter :)

I'm too old, too sturdy and too transfusioned to register.

Luckily my money fits.

Thanks MN for raising awareness.

I have as of today finally sent off my saliva sample (as I am a complete scatter brain and kept forgetting!)
I have already posted on this thread so am hopefully entered into the draw and will make a donation to the page as soon as I am able which will be early next week I'm afraid due to funds etc.

As others have said big thanks to MN for raising awareness and I truly do hope I am accepted as a donor and am able to help someone in need one day in the near future.

just wanted to post my support (though i already have a beautiful soft blanket put together by the loving hands of the MN blanketeers) XX

tmdv has you thought about workplace donations? my work emails everyone about prospective blood donations, and the company allows people time during the working day to go to their truck in the car park - could sth like this work for Anthony Nolan? someone on MN has probably been involved in something similar....

We just wanted to say another HUGE thanks to all who have contributed. We have now raised over £1,150.00 on the Just Giving page - there is still time to donate

Justine has recently done some work with EON and has kindly donated her fee to two charities, Sense and Sciences' Libel Reform Campaign, which makes sense of scientific and medical claims, and the Anthony Nolan Trust, the bone marrow charity. You can read more about it here

Nope. Still not answered the ethical cord donation question. If they don't know that it is safe for the baby, they should just say so.

I need to find out if I am eligible to donate - I'm not allowed to give blood as I had cerebral malaria as a child.

I am eligible to make a just giving donation though :)

Donated

donated.