Woman donates stem cells to give stranger a second chance at life

SHE HAS TOLD HOW SHE TOOK THE EXTRAORDINARY AND POTENTIALLY LIFESAVING STEP TO DONATE

- By COREENA FORD

A GRIMSBY vet has told how she made the potentially lifesaving decision to donate her stem cells to a total stranger to give them a second chance at life.

Clara Salinas Pallares, 36, is originally from Spain but has lived in Grimsby for six years, where she is a vet with the Abbey Veterinary Centre.

Clara who leads a very active life and travels when she can, including to the Bolivian jungle where she spent a year as a volunteer vet - first joined the stem cell donor register several year ago, after a little girl from her home town needed a stem cell transplant.

At the time, Clara was too young to join the register, but she decided to join up as soon as she was able, in case she would be able to help improve someone else's health in the future.

Years passed without any call-ups. So Clara was surprised to receive a recent call, confirming that she was a stem cell match for a patient who was undergoing treatment.

Now, having gone through the simple process, Clara is urging others to sign up to the register.