07 Jun 2025
The mother of a St Albans man who received a life-saving stem cell donation following a leukaemia diagnosis has spoken of her joy after he walked her down the aisle on her wedding day.
A year ago, Katrina Collins’ son Ben faced an uncertain future as he waged a desperate battle against bone cancer.
The former Verulam School pupil received his devastating diagnosis on Christmas Day 2023, and although he began intensive chemotherapy, it was not successful as doctors hoped, and he was told a stem cell transplant was his best chance for survival.
But after the disappointment of one donor pulling out at the eleventh hour, last summer he finally received the news he’d been waiting for – a woman in Germany had been identified as a match from the DKMS register, and she had agreed to donate her stem cells.
Speaking to the St Albans Times, Katrina said: “We are now nearly 11 months post-transplant. It has been a bumpy road and Ben still has Graft vs Host Disease but the alternative is unimaginable.
“I think our wedding was such a huge moment in Ben’s recovery and it was absolutely incredible the love that was felt in the room. It was a very, very emotional day because after rearranging the wedding three times Ben finally got to walk me down the aisle – there were lots of happy tears.
“There will be a little celebration when we get to July 11 as it will be a year since his transplant, but even bigger next year when hopefully we will get to meet the amazing lady who donated her stem cells. It’s impossible to say a big enough thank you to her – she saved my child’s life.
“So if you are in any doubt, please register to donate your stem cells. We often don’t know about things until they happen to us, but this is such an important message to share and could give so many people a second chance. I am on the register and I hope, before I am too old, that I can help save a life.”
Ben, now 25, spoke about the moment he discovered he had leukaemia: “It’s the last thing you expect. I had a very normal life, working in London, socialising, spending time with my girlfriend Emma. I’d been having fevers, and coughing for a few weeks. Two rounds of antibiotics hadn’t worked, so I called 111 on Christmas Eve, and I got a call the next morning telling me to come to A&E right away. By the afternoon, I’d been told I had blood cancer.”
Unfortunately, no one in Ben’s family was a match, so a global search began to find a stranger who could save his life, with the St Albans Times reporting on the story locally on its front page.
Working with blood cancer charity DKMS, his family organised a huge donor registration event at Old Verulamiums Rugby Club.
The community’s support was overwhelming, with more than 540 people registering on the day – including St Albans Times editor Matt Adams – and more than 1,800 people registering online.
Although the ‘Swab Day’ did not directly result in a donor, it was only a few weeks later that Ben discovered one had been found.
Ben said: “Initially I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but once I got to the hospital for the transplant, it started to sink in. It’s almost hard to think about, without the kindness of a complete stranger, I wouldn’t be here today.
“I don’t know how I could begin to thank her. There are so many people who are waiting for a match, just like I was. I want to encourage as many people as possible to join the register, to help to give those people the second chance that I’ve been given.”
Ben’s transplant has turned his life around. He is back at work, and just a few weeks ago, walked Katrina down the aisle when she married long-term partner Rich.
In her speech, Katrina said the day was not just a wedding, but a celebration of life, in particular Ben’s.
“This time last year we didn’t even know if he’d be here. I am so proud of you Ben – how you have handled the last 15 months and what you have had to deal with. The majority of the time with a smile on your face and always making us laugh. Ben, you have taught me so much. Patience was never your thing but wow have you had to be patient. You are so nearly there now, and we are with you all the way.”
She also paid tribute to ‘Team Ben’, the local support network led by his girlfriend Emma.
“I’m so grateful to all of you. What would we have done without you Emma? Thank you from the bottom of my heart, we would not be here today if it wasn’t for you. We shared the care I know but you selflessly gave everything you had to Ben.
“He knows he is lucky – he tells me all the time. But I am as lucky because through everything you stuck by us. You are the most amazing young lady. We have shared so much and you – and your mum Sue – have been a rock when I needed it even though you were going through it as well.
“But it goes far wider than just Team Ben. Everyone here, and those who can’t be here, have shown so much love and support not just for Ben but for Rich and I as well.”
Every 14 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with blood cancer. For many patients, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor is their best or only chance of survival, but only a very small proportion of the UK population are currently registered as potential donors – just 2.2 per cent in the east of England.
Ben and Katrina are encouraging everyone aged 17–55 and in good general health to order a free swab kit via their website (dkms.org.uk), complete a simple cheek swab, and return it to be added to the register.
