As a fire fighter, he is already in the class of life saver.
And now, Conor Cormack has been described as “inspirational” after donating potentially life-saving stem cells through the Anthony Nolan Trust.
Earlier this month, Mr Cormack, from Inverness, travelled to London to undergo the procedure that he said was a just a “minor inconvenience.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is involved in an award winning partnership with the Anthony Nolan Trust and that has seen 10,000 people sign up to the stem cell register.
Amy Bartlett, Regional Development Manager for Scotland, said: “Our partnership with the SFRS continues to save lives.
“And it’s great to see another inspirational firefighter give a second chance to someone in desperate need.”
She added: “We were so pleased to see that Conor has donated his stem cells to someone requiring a lifesaving transplant.”
Mr Cormack said: “There is a misconception when people think of this. They think it is really painful and involves getting a huge needle into your hip. It’s not like that anymore.”
He added: “I donated stem cells, but you can also donate bone marrow. I’m told by friend who has donated bone marrow that it’s no problem either.”
Despite the huge difference that Mr Cormack’s gesture could make he played it down saying it was just “another thing I can do to help”.
He said: “Once you have donated you feel like you have a connection with that person, you’re rooting for them.
“I feel quite anxious at the moment. Even though I don’t know the person and have never spoken to them, I’m anxious to hear how they got on.”
Rab Middlemiss, SFRS Local Senior Officer for the Highlands said: “Conor’s dedication is hugely admirable and I would like to personally thank him for continuing to strengthen this partnership.”
Stem cell transplants are often the best chance of survival for people with a condition affecting their bone marrow or blood.
Doctors give healthy stem cells to the patient via the bloodstream so they create healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
According to the Nolan Trust each year about 2,000 people in the UK need a stem cell transplant from a stranger.
Demand for young male donors aged 16 – 30 is high as they are most likely to be chosen to be used but make up just 16% of the register.
