Mum of one, who needs a stem cell transplant after 12-year cancer battle, calls for people to sign up to newly renamed NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry

A mum of one from Northampton, who has been battling cancer for 12 years and will need a stem cell transplant later this year, is calling on people to join the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry (formerly the British Bone Marrow Registry).

June Hoey, 56, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in 2012 and has undertaken three rounds of chemotherapy in an attempt to treat her cancer. She now needs a stem cell transplant to replace cells damaged by the chemotherapy and treat the lymphoma.

NHL is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells, which divide abnormally, grow out of control and do not die off naturally as they normally do. The cancerous cells form tumours in lymph nodes but can spread into other parts of the body, causing problems within the system or organ affected.

June's story

June was put on a ‘watch and wait’ programme for five years, with regular checkups and made the decision not to tell daughter Lucy of her diagnosis until 2017, when June noticed lumps on her neck and started a six-month course of chemotherapy.

Another five years later, just before Christmas 2022, June went to A&E at Northampton General Hospital after becoming increasingly breathless and weak over the space of two weeks. “I didn’t think it was the cancer”, she says, but weeks later she started her second course of chemotherapy.

Just six months later, the cancer returned for a third time and in July 2024, June started a third round of chemotherapy and was told to expect a stem cell transplant later on in the year.

June says: “Having blood transfusions and chemotherapy every week is gruelling, but I hope that by undergoing the chemotherapy and later the stem cell transplant, I’ll be able to get back to my normal life - I cannot wait to be able to get back to my allotment, play golf and walk my dogs.

“The first step towards being well again is to find that stem cell donor and I really do hope there is a match waiting on the register for me.

"The more people who sign up, the more chance that people like me will have of being able to get the treatment that we need to be able to feel well again and enjoy time with our loved ones.

“Please, if you are eligible, think about registering to donate your stem cells – you can save somebody’s life.”

Daughter Lucy Hoey, 23, a student midwife, says: “It’s really hard having mum be so poorly and facing so many treatments. We have had to put so many plans on hold - I’m really hoping that there’s a match for her to have the stem cell transplant and that that will allow us to enjoy life as mother and daughter again.

“I’ll be eternally grateful to whoever donates the cells she will eventually receive.”

Newly renamed NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry

NHS Blood and Transplant is sharing June’s story to highlight how its British Bone Marrow Registry has changed its name to the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry, to reflect that today most transplants come from stem cells circulating in the blood, rather than the bone marrow. The name change is aimed at encouraging more people to register, to help people like June.

Men aged 17-40 and women of a Black or Asian heritage or of a mixed ethnicity background aged 17-40 who are current blood donors are encouraged to ask about joining the NHS Stem Cell Donor Registry at the start of their next appointment. Those who are not current blood donors should register to donate blood first.

Find more information on how to register and the donation process at our website.