Over 500 people attended a swab day in a bid to find a stem cell donor for a St Albans man with a rare form of blood cancer. 

Ben Collins, aged 24, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on Christmas Day last year and has since gone though five months of gruelling chemotherapy.

Ben was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on Christmas Day last yearBen was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on Christmas Day last year (Image: Loudbird PR)

Yesterday (Sunday, June 23), 542 people attended a swab day at Old Verulamium's Rugby Club as efforts intensified to find a life saving donor.

In total, more than 1,000 people have signed up or completed a swab, with potential donors able to register online.

DKMS works to find donors for blood cancer patients like BenDKMS works to find donors for blood cancer patients like Ben (Image: Toby Shepheard)

There has been an outpouring of support in the community for Ben in recent weeks, with the event being shared across social media - including Busted star Matt Willis, who shared the appeal on his Instagram story.

Just seven per cent of people in the UK are on the register to donate and four in ten people do not find the donor they need.

Earlier this year, Ben was dealt a devastating blow after a possible donor in Germany fell through at the last minute.

Dates were arranged for Ben to go to Germany, and he mentally prepared for what would be a gruelling process. 

Heartbreakingly, the day before he was due to fly out, the rug was pulled from underneath him as doctors said they had been unable to get a hold of the donor, leaving him 'devastated'.

But hope still remains, with just one match out of over a thousand volunteers needed to save his life.

Ben has been supported since his diagnosis by his Mum Katrina and girlfriend Emma.

Ben with his girlfriend EmmaBen with his girlfriend Emma (Image: Loudbird PR)

Suggested Reading

 Family appeal for life saving stem cell donor

Ofsted: Harpenden's Sauncey Wood Primary School rated 'good'

Hertfordshire set for very high pollen levels this week

542 people took part in the swab day542 people took part in the swab day (Image: Toby Shepheard)

Anyone between 17 and 55 years of age could be a possible donor and the process takes just a few minutes, but could be the difference between life and death for Ben and the many people like him, who are in urgent need of help.

There is still time to help Ben and if you have not yet done so, you can sign up to have a swab kit sent to your home at https://www.dkms.org.uk/get-involved/virtual-drives/swab-for-ben.