Mark Fallaize, who has helped push a drive to get more donors on the Anthony Nolan register, was called on Friday to say they had found a 10/10 match.
‘It is brilliant but there are still some scary times ahead,’ the 53-year-old said.
When he got the call, he was surprised to be hearing the words.
‘We had been in Southampton for nine months and I was told that my best hope would be family. They tested my family but no one was a match so to get someone who is unrelated and a 10/10 is remarkable.
‘I’m really positive, happy and excited.
‘But the message I really want to get out is yes, we have been very fortunate to have found someone for me but there are still 2,000 people every year who need a donor so we’re still going to continue the drives to get as many people signed up as possible.’
Mr Fallaize is this week having blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy in preparation for receiving the new stem cell/bone marrow.
It is hoped he can then travel to Southampton General next week to start the process.
Before he can have the transplant, he has to undergo a course of chemotherapy to wipe his own blood clean, meaning he will need to be made very sick before he can get better.
Once the chemotherapy is over, he can then have the transplant.
He said it could take a while before he could have the transplant and then the recovery process could be a long one.
‘I’m hoping that I can be back in December, in time for Christmas,’ he said.
He said he has been doing everything he could to be in the best health position possible before the procedure, and has seen a nutritionist.
UK-based stem cell transplantation charity, the Anthony Nolan Trust, is still looking for two further ‘back-up’ matches – that are around 8/10 or 9/10 – which would be used in the event that Mr Fallaize’s body rejects the first match.
Mr Fallaize, who has worked for Guernsey Post for 31 years, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2016.
After weeks of chemotherapy in Southampton he was allowed to join his wife, two children and granddaughter back in Guernsey as his blood cell levels seemed to indicate he was in recovery.
However, earlier this year, during a routine check-up, his blood cell levels had deteriorated and he was sent back to Southampton.
After testing it was found that Mr Fallaize had contracted myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of blood cancer where the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood stem cells. It is a rare disease that affects just seven people in 100,000.
The stem cell transplant could greatly extend his life expectancy.
Anthony Nolan has visited the island over the past couple of months with 3,000 testing kits to both help in the hunt for a match for Mr Fallaize as well as building the number of people on its register.
Mr Fallaize does not know whether the donor match is from Guernsey or elsewhere but said he was grateful to all islanders who signed up.
After two years, it is possible to find out who the donor is but that has to be the donor’s decision.
He said the family and friends would be holding another donor drive in October and were planning a number of fundraising initiatives, including an afternoon tea.
‘Every sample that happens costs £40 to analyse and get onto the register,’ he said.
‘We want to fund every sample that was taken in Guernsey and more.’
He urged people to sign up onto the register to help others like him.
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