British military veteran Chris Gordon, 43, is seeking a stem cell donor after being diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare condition that stops the bone marrow from making new blood cells. Gordon, a former RAF Chinook helicopter pilot, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 2013 for his bravery during the Afghanistan war. During an attack, he used his helicopter to protect 31 British and Afghan soldiers from gunfire, even after losing an engine, and then safely evacuated them. Now based in Los Angeles, he works as a director at a helicopter aviation company. Gordon is in urgent need of a stem cell transplant, which he calls his "second chance at life." His brother, Jonathan, from Manchester, is only a partial match, so medical teams are searching international stem cell registries for a full match. In the meantime, Gordon is receiving blood transfusions twice a week to manage his condition. According to the charity DKMS, which is helping Gordon find a donor, the likelihood of finding a matching stem cell donor is often connected to a person’s ethnic background. A small portion of the global stem cell register consists of people from ethnic minority backgrounds, making it more difficult for individuals like Gordon—whose heritage is half Jamaican—to find a suitable match. DKMS explains that joining the stem cell donor register is a straightforward process. It involves answering some basic health questions and providing a cheek swab, which can be ordered for free through the charity’s website. Gordon, who served 14 years in the RAF, lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two-year-old daughter. He is also expecting a baby boy soon. He is urging people to consider becoming stem cell donors, emphasizing that the process is simple and that anyone, anywhere in the world, could be a potential match. He hopes that raising awareness will help others understand that donating stem cells is not only possible but also a life-saving act.