Stem cell transplant recipient Steve has completed a 1,000-mile bike ride across the UK, six years after lifesaving treatment at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Steve, 64, from Lancashire, was training to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats when a routine GP check-up in 2019 changed his life.
He said: “I thought I was a fit and healthy man, just living my life and training for this bike ride. I had just finished working as an accountant and starting to think about the future.
“At a regular health check at my doctor’s, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and told I needed a stem cell transplant.
“When your bone marrow doesn’t work, it means you can’t make healthy blood and your immune system essentia
lly collapses.”
Steve lives in Wrea Green, a small village in Lancashire, and was referred to Manchester Royal Infirmary, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), for specialist care.
Anthony Nolan, the charity that matches stem cell donors with people in need of a transplant, helped to search for a suitable donor. Close relatives are often checked first, but Steve’s sister was not a match, meaning the search had to be widened.
Steve said: “My first transplant failed, so I had to leave hospital and then be re-admitted. Anthony Nolan identified a donor in Germany, but it was just as Covid was hitting and borders were closing. It was a pretty scary time, but thankfully I managed to pull through.
“The transplant itself is relatively simple; it looks like a regular blood transfusion, and I didn’t feel any different afterwards. I probably got off quite lightly compared to others.
“It was the chemotherapy given alongside it, to kill off the remaining old faulty cells in the bone marrow, that makes you poorly.”
After a stem cell transplant, patients are monitored closely in hospital while healthcare teams check whether the new cells are starting to make healthy bone marrow. This can take several weeks.
Steve said: “I was in hospital for five months. Every day they test your blood, and you just pray there are signs of improvement.
“It was during the Covid pandemic, and I had a really low immune system, which meant I had no visitors while I was in hospital for five months. It was a very difficult time.
“All the Haematology staff were incredible. Their compassion and professionalism made an unbearable situation bearable. The support services were also absolutely fantastic, and I couldn’t have asked for better care.”
After months in hospital, Steve was able to return home and gradually began to build up his strength and confidence. He also wanted to give something back to the services that had cared for him.
He said: “In 2024 I ran to become a Public Governor for Rest of England and Wales at MFT, so I could give something back and help improve services for patients.”
Six years after first setting himself the challenge, Steve has now completed the Land’s End to John O’Groats ride, raising £7,500 for Anthony Nolan. 
He said: “It was enjoyable, but very hard work, as you can imagine. You ride for about 70 miles a day for 15 days in a row – and climb the equivalent of one and a half times the height of Mount Everest!
“I rode with Vince, my friend of over 30 years, and people came and met us along the way. It was great to be out in the countryside.”
Steve has also fundraised for MFT Charity through the Great Manchester Run and is due to compete in the British Transplant Games as a stem cell transplant recipient.
Fiona Dignan, Consultant Haematologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary said:
“It is wonderful to see Steve doing so well following his treatment and using his experience to give back to our Trust and support others. Stem cell transplants can be a highly effective treatment for blood cancer, and Steve’s story shows the life-changing impact this care can have.”
“He is an inspiration to others who have recovered from serious illness, and we look forward to seeing what he goes on to achieve next.”