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June 20, 2008
Fantastic news
Several weeks ago I told you the story of journalist colleague Adrian Sudbury, who works for one of our sister papers in Huddersfield, and who is dying of leukaemia and has only a short time to live.
His dying wish is for an increase in the numbers registered on the bone marrow register and we have featured Adrian's campaign in the Gazette.
Well Adrian’s campaign has been highlighted on The Prime Minister’s Question Time, where Gordon Brown mentioned him personally and said: “the issue of the promotion of the donation blood, bone marrow and organs is a priority for the department of health. We are looking at what we can do."
And this week, Adrian has received a letter from Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Education Secretary Ed Balls, announcing that a talk about donating blood, bone marrow and organs, will be rolled out in schools nationally from September. The scheme, called Give and Let Live, will be for 14 to 15-year-olds.
This is fantastic news but Adrian urges the need for the scheme to be expanded to sixth formers. At 17 and 18, young people are in a position to choose whether or not to become donors. At 17 you can give blood and at 18 you can join the bone marrow register.
Adrian also recently received an unprecedented standing ovation when he was announced as ‘Multimedia Journalist of the Year’ at this year’s Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.
He was recognised for his blog about dealing with leukemia. It is the latest in a series of national and international awards for his work. Adrian’s parents picked up the prize on his behalf as he was too ill to attend the award ceremony in person, but he addressed the event with a prerecorded video message. http://www.silverstream.tv/rpa/
You can follow Adrian's story at http://baldyblog.freshblogs.co.uk
I am currently looking out on a deserted newsroom - and it looks like remaining that way for most of the day!
News editor Chris Longhurst has gone to the races for the day (pleasure not work), two reporters are training and with other things going on that leaves just our Ruislip reporter Charlene Mitchell and a work experience student as the sum total of the newsdesk.
It promises to be a busy day and with the newslist for next week's Gazette looking a little thin on the ground at the moment we will have to really start cranking things up first thing on Monday morning.
Posted by aseal at June 20, 2008 7:24 AM