Midlands medical student nominated for prestigious Anthony Nolan award

Vickey Lawrence, 21, from Moseley, is up for the Shirley Nolan Award for Special Recognition award for completing the London Marathon with the man who saved her life. They have raised over £15,000 for Anthony Nolan.

Vickey was diagnosed with severe aplastic anaemia in 2008, when she was just eight years old, a condition in which the bone marrow does not produce an adequate number of new blood cells.

Thanks to Elliott Brock, a physiotherapist from Mersea Island, Essex Vickey received a lifesaving transplant that same year.

Vickey said "Without Elliott donating his stem cells to a stranger, I would not be here. I wouldn’t have made it to Christmas. I would never have had the opportunities I’ve had – to go to university, to study abroad, to play hockey."

After she sent Elliott a letter in 2015 and the pair met for the first time and have been friends ever since.

Vickey said: “It’s a bit of a shock when we found out, I don’t know who nominated me but thank you very much. Both of us have so much love for the charity and constantly want to make it better so it’s really nice to be nominated for the award.”

Anthony Nolan chief executive Henny Braund said: “It is remarkable to see how many people support our work to find a match for those in need of a stem cell transplant. Without them, none of our life-saving work would be possible.

"Congratulations Vickey. You and Elliott crossing the marathon finishing line together, beautifully encapsulates what we do as a charity."