Police officer Luke Budgol’s bone marrow donation delight

A POLICE officer who donated his bone marrow said he was “happy” to discover it had been given to a young boy in America.
By David Parker
Published 14th Mar 2019, 14:24 BST
Updated 15th Mar 2019, 14:49 BST

PC Luke Bugdol (35, pictured), of the Rotherham Neighbourhood Policing team, donated his bone marrow on World Cancer Day last month after signing up with blood cancer charity DKMS (We Delete Blood Cancer).

The stem cells extracted from his donation were flown across the Atlantic for a boy aged under 12.

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PC Bugdol has received a food hamper and a card from DKMS thanking him for his donation.

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    “To know it has gone to a little boy in America, it makes me feel great - I feel happy,” said PC Bugdol

    “The fact it had gone to someone who needed it, if they have a better chance of survival, it’s fantastic.”

    PC Bugdol said DKMS were expected to send him updates about the boy after six months, nine months, a year and two years, during which time he would be kept anonymous.

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    “After two years is when they potentially release his details so you can make contact yourself,” he said.

    “It would be amazing to know who it is going to and find out a little bit more about them.

    “It would be nice to meet him one day.”

    PC Bugdol, of Rotherham, first thought about becoming a bone marrow donor two years ago after he attended an incident with a colleague.

    After the incident, they began talking about joining the bone marrow register, and PC Bugdol signed up later that day, 

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    He sent DKMS a mouth swab and, two years later, was told he was a match for someone.

    “Having gone through the operation, and knowing what it feels like, I would do it again,” said PC Bugdol.

    “I wouldn’t think twice.”

    PC Bugdol said his friends and family were proud of what he had done.

    “I got lots of people contacting me saying they didn’t know anything about it and they couldn’t believe I had kept it secret,” he said.

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    PC Bugdol urged others to sign up to the British Bone Marrow Registry through charities such as the Anthony Nolan Trust, which takes donations from people aged 16 to 30, or DKMS, which accommodates those up to 55.

    Visit https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/british-bone-marrow-registry/how-can-i-help/ for more information.