Industry rallies behind one of its own

The automotive industry is rallying around 19-year-old Apollo apprentice Luke Hope, who needs a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with cancer for the second time in February.

He was diagnosed with leukaemia a week before his 18^th birthday and after six months of intensive chemotherapy went into remission.

However, he relapsed in February this year, with an Optical Neuropathy and lost the sight in his right eye and is now desperately seeking a “genetic twin” on the Blood Stem Cell register.

Apollo Motor Group director Bradley Eyles and Volvo’s body and paint development manager Steve Plunkett urged the industry to support this cause by signing up to be tested, while also raising awareness and funds for the DKMS charity.

Already nearly 100 people have registered to be tested while four-figure donations to the DKMS charity have come from Apollo Motor Group, TW Whites, Madison Enterprises, Autoflow, Vizion, and White Room Consortium.

Plunkett said: “Luke is such a lovely young man and at such a young age, he deserves this chance of having a bone marrow transplant, but he needs a donor and the sooner one is found the better.

“I would like to make a personal appeal to anyone one who is aged between 17 and 55 to just click the link and get themselves registered. It doesn’t take long to do, it is a very simple process.”