Articles | Dying journalist's bone marrow bid

Dying journalist's bone marrow bid

Published: Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 3:28PM

A journalist with just weeks to live is hoping to educate people about bone marrow donations.

Adrian Sudbury, 26, from Sheffield, has been battling leukaemia for the past 18 months.

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner reporter earlier met Prime Minister Gordon Brown in his bid to encourage the Government to make teaching on bone marrow transplants part of the National Curriculum.

On Tuesday he held talks with Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Schools Secretary Ed Balls to discuss his ideas.

He said: "I'm really pleased with how it's gone so far. Both of the ministers were really receptive. There is currently teaching in place in schools on citizenship, and a 30- or 40-minute lesson on donating is something that could easily be incorporated into that.

"All the pieces are there already, we just need someone at the top to bring all those pieces together."

When he was diagnosed, Mr Sudbury began writing a blog about his battle which has since won both national and international health journalism awards.

In one of his most recent blog postings he broke the news that he was going to die to his readers: "After everything we have been through together I am so sorry to break the following news to you all.

"The leukaemia has reappeared in the bone marrow and I have only got weeks or months to live. In the end I decided to have no further intensive treatment.

"I had made up my mind a long time ago that if I was given this news I would stay healthy for as long as possible and enjoy spending time with my friends and family."

Mr Sudbury, who has dubbed the campaign his "final mission" is now planning on spending his final weeks with family and friends.