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An islander whose life-threatening medical condition was cured by a bone marrow transplant is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the procedure by running a marathon in the city where it took place.
Sports lover Ben Hick (28) will be taking part in the 2023 London Marathon in April in aid of Anthony Nolan.
The charity matches individuals willing to donate their stem cells to those who desperately need a lifesaving transplant, and also contributes to cutting-edge scientific research, funds specialist post-transplant nurses, and supports patients and their families through the transplant process and beyond.
Ben was diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disorder, a rare genetic condition that severely weakens the immune system, when he was a toddler.
He said that he “managed to keep relatively well” until the age of 15 until he contracted fungal pneumonia which his “body just couldn’t fight off”.
Two more bouts of the illness followed in close succession, leading him to spend a large amount of time between the ages of 15 and 18 on Robin Ward receiving treatment.
“A bone marrow transplant had always been discussed as it was the only cure, but it had always been a risky procedure,” Ben explained.
“However, the way that medicine had advanced meant that the techniques they used had become a lot safer in recent years. After the third time having fungal pneumonia, it was really affecting my life so I took the decision to have a bone marrow transplant in 2013.”
Ben’s family became aware of the Anthony Nolan charity, which uses its register to find and match potential stem cell donors of the correct tissue types with blood cancer and blood disorder patients who are in need of stem cell transplants.
Ben jokingly described the stem cell register as "genetic Tinder", as you are waiting to find your perfect match. There are 10 genetic areas that the process aims to match, and Anthony Nolan managed to find Ben two '9/10' matches within a few months.
"I feel incredibly lucky to have found matches so quickly as some people end up waiting years and years," said Ben.
Pictured: Ben on his transplant day in 2013.
The transplant took place in June 2013 on the Teenage Cancer Trust Ward at the UCL Hospital in London.
Ben described it as an "incredibly tough time", which involved having chemotherapy and spending four months in London after the transplant - two-and-a-half of which were in complete isolation.
He had to have all of his childhood injections again and "build up immunity to everything all over again" at the age of 19, with the total recovery time lasting over a year.
However, the transplant was a “brilliant success”, and Ben has been in almost perfect health for the past 10 years with "barely anything wrong at all!"
Pictured: When asked what he has been up to in the decade since his transplant, Ben is still living in Jersey and admitted he has just been "enjoying normal life".
When asked what he has been up to in the decade since his transplant, Ben is still living in Jersey and admitted he has just been "enjoying normal life".
"It probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's something I never thought I'd be able to say," he explained.
Ben has also been enjoying playing sports, which he couldn’t do much of before his transplant as he had to be so careful.
“Getting things as little as cuts and bruises in sports used to be so dangerous as they might get infected and, as I had that immune deficiency, my body couldn’t fight it off and it would end up with me going back into hospital,” he explained.
Pictured: Ben is a keen football player.
“Having the energy to just go out and enjoy myself has been amazing!”
Ben has also become an ambassador for the Anthony Nolan charity, speaking in schools and workplaces about how signing up to the stem cell register can save someone's life.
For the 10-year anniversary of his bone marrow transplant, Ben knew he wanted to do something special and decided to take on the London Marathon.
He explained: “I came up with the idea a couple of years ago when I was thinking about ways to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of my transplant.
My best mate and my sister actually ran the London Marathon last year in aid of Anthony Nolan and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
“I went to watch them and the buzz was incredible! I didn’t understand how big an event it was until I went. I saw how amazing they felt afterwards and that really firmed up that I wanted to do it.”
Pictured: “It was only ever going to be the London Marathon. To go back to the city that I had my transplant in feels like I’ve come full circle.”
“It was only ever going to be the London Marathon. To go back to the city that I had my transplant in feels like I’ve come full circle,” he added.
Although Ben knows that completing the marathon will be a “fantastic personal achievement”, he is most excited to raise as much money and awareness for Anthony Nolan as possible, and has set himself a £3,000 target.
“It’s all about the charity that saved my life,” he said. “Every step will be for every person who needs a transplant.”
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