Courageous Caden nominated for Young Hero of the Year award

Caden Moore has been shortlisted for the John Petchey Young Hero of the Year award at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards 2020.

The prestigious Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards are back for their eighth year and will recognise the outstanding achievements of the volunteers, fundraisers, clinical supporters and donors who help the pioneering blood cancer charity save lives. The awards ceremony is usually held at the Tower of London, but with mass gatherings of this nature currently unable to take place there will be a digital celebration instead, where celebrities and other specially invited supporters will announce the winners of each category in specially pre-recorded films.

Caden, ten, from Ballymoney was diagnosed with very severe Aplastic Anaemia on June 8, 2017, and on July 28, 2017 he received a stem cell transplant from his older brother.

When Caden was first diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia, he needed to travel to three different hospitals for treatment. He left his home in Ballymoney and travelled to the Causeway Hospital, Coleraine. A few days later, he left Causeway Hospital and was transferred to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, before eventually going to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in England, for his life-saving stem cell transplant. This journey was a total of 530km.

Last year, to celebrate how far Caden has come in the three years since his diagnosis, he and his family set themselves a challenge to complete the same distance (530km) in the same time frame (51 days) by walking, running, rowing, surfing, swimming, cycling and any other creative way they could think of.

Speaking about the challenge, Caden’s mum, Sabrina, said: “We felt that it was very important to recognise the work of three charities - Angel Wishes, The Aplastic Anaemia Trust and Anthony Nolan. They have been very close to our hearts since Caden’s diagnosis and we want to support the amazing work that these charities do. This is a very difficult time, due to Covid-19, and these charities need our support now, more than ever.

“At the beginning of 2020, our friends from university set themselves monthly, #ChallengesForCaden, and have been fundraising for Caden’s chosen charities. When Caden wanted to start his own challenge, we had around 100 friends and family sign up to do it with us!”

The Challenge raised over £9,000 and was split between his three charities.

Caden said: “When mummy told me I was nominated for this special award, I was shocked and very surprised. I couldn’t believe it! I was a very lucky boy; my brother was my bone marrow match and he is my hero. I just want to help other people to find their hero. I am super excited about the awards night and wish everyone good luck. Thank you Anthony Nolan for helping people like me have another chance at life.”

Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, said: “It is remarkable to see how many people support our work to find a match for those in need of a stem cell transplant. Without them, none of our life-saving work would be possible.

“Caden has shown tremendous commitment to Anthony Nolan by completing such a difficult challenge and by inspiring so many others to join him on his fundraising journey.”

All winners will be revealed at 7pm on Thursday, February 11 at www.anthonynolan.org/awards

Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching stem cell donors for people with blood cancer and blood disorders and gives them a second chance at life. It also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.

To see the full shortlist, and find out more about the charity visit www.anthonynolan.org/awards

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