Over £100 has been raised for blood cancer patients by Sheffield Anatomy Society.

Sheffield Marrow, a student-led organisation that recruits stem cell donors to provide life-saving transplants to patients with blood cancer, will be receiving donations from Sheffield Anatomy Society who are holding their third National Annual Conference this weekend.

President of the Anatomy Society, Bethany Richards, said: “I think all of us know someone that’s been affected by cancer.

“A lot of people feel quite hopeless in terms of what they can do to help… but signing up to be a stem cell donor through Marrow’s website – that’s something that people can do.”

Sheffield Anatomy Soc Conference 2020

Due to Covid-19, the event will be held virtually on Blackboard, instead of at the medical school. As a lot of the costs of the event are being saved, the ticket fees are all being donated.

Secretary at Sheffield Marrow, Thomas Burgess, said: “If we don’t have that money it’s someone that we can’t sign up and it’s someone that potentially doesn’t get their lifesaving transplants.

“Every little bit is helping with this.”

The Sheffield Anatomy Conference will be a day of talks from external speakers (including doctors, forensic pathologists and alchemists), a drawing workshop and poster presentations.

Conference Programme 2021

Miss Richards, who is in her third year of medicine, said: “We’re really grateful that we’ve been able to get people from so many areas.”

Since September 2020, the Anatomy Society has raised a total of £424 for Sheffield Marrow – run by the Anthony Nolan charity – not including the £128 donated from the conference.

Though Mr Burgess said that it has been harder to raise awareness this year due to the pandemic, Sheffield Marrow has been working hard with societies to host online events and sessions.

Virtual Sheffield Marrow event.

In the last year, they have held online Bollywood dance classes to fundraise and hosted stem cell transplant lectures to share vital information and spread awareness.

Looking forward, they will be partaking in a ‘Miles for Marrow’ campaign where the volunteers hope to amount 1000 miles between them in April.

Sign up for the Sheffield Anatomy Conference and donate here. For more information on stem cell donation and joining the register, visit the Anthony Nolan website.