One of our Year 12 students, Abbie Young, is on a fundraising mission to raise as much money as possible for The Anthony Nolan Charity. Abbie is an incredible, inspirational and very brave young lady. In school, she has delivered six year group assemblies to tell her story to all of our students.  

Abbie was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Severe Aplastic Anaemia in 2020, just as the first lockdown was unfolding. To save her life, she needed to find a donor on the Anthony Nolan Register who could provide her with a bone marrow transplant.  Abbie was told that a donor had been found in Germany! Abbie spent four and half months in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, whilst she underwent several doses of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.  During the treatment, she was confined to an isolation room, unable to leave. 

In May 2020, she was given the news by the consultant that the first transplant had failed. She was devastated. Fortunately, Anthony Nolan provided yet another donor match and her second bone marrow transplant commenced in July 2020. Due to the complexity of the disease, Abbie eventually required a stem cell top-up from her second donor in January 2021. Following the treatment, and hundreds of blood and platelet transfusions, her immune system eventually recovered and she rang the bell on leaving Ward 3 of the Royal Victoria Infirmary and went home to her family!  

Abbie started Year 12 in September 2021 – a year behind schedule but is doing remarkably well studying three very demanding A Levels.  Harton Academy will host a whole school fundraising day on Friday 8th April to help support Abbie in becoming an Ambassador for the Anthony Nolan Charity and to help raise as much money as possible as a ‘Thank you’ for saving Abbie’s life. 

If you would like to personally help Abbie in her mission, please visit the following page to donate:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AbbieYoung4AN