WHEN blood cancer sufferer Ken Macarthur finally got the chance to meet the bone marrow donor who saved his life, an emotional thank-you was top of the agenda.

But Mr Macarthur, from near Northallerton, was also keen to find out why he had developed an unusual dislike for the taste of tea after his transplant. And it emerged his donor Adam hates the stuff.

The pair met up after Mr Macarthur wrote anonymously through the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where he was treated, to try and get in touch with his donor.

He discovered the 26-year-old had overcome needle phobia to donate the precious cells.

Eventually, six years after the transplant Mr Macarthur met up with Adam to thank him over a pub lunch on the Thames.

“All we knew about my donor was that they were just 26-years-old, and we were so grateful to think of a young person being happy to help a stranger like this,” said Mr Macarthur. “I recovered quickly this time, and developed an unusual dislike for drinking tea which no one could explain.”

He continued: “It was a very emotional meeting. We cried a lot, and talked and talked. As you would expect, Adam is a very friendly and generous person, he said he thought anyone would have done the same thing as him.

“As for the tea question, Adam hates tea and has never been able to drink it.”

Mr Macarthur was 44 when he was diagnosed with blood cancer after giving his 45th donation of blood in February 2008. Staff realised something was wrong and called him in for tests which confirmed the devastating news for him, his wife and three children that he had myeloma.

After undergoing chemotherapy and two transplants of his own stem cells, he had not gone into remission, was feeling very unwell and was in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Through the Anthony Nolan Trust a good match was found with the anonymous donor who turned out to be Adam, and in October 2011 he had a transplant at the Freeman.

“The quality of my care whilst in isolation was exceptional,” he said.

Further donor infusions were then needed over the following two and a half years to boost the transplant.

“We know that many people don’t donate anything to anyone – our extended family are now all on the register where they can be, to donate blood, organs and bone marrow,” added Mr Macarthur.

“I was made redundant a few years after the diagnosis, then managed a part-time job during some of the treatments, but I now work full-time in a strenuous job which shows the extent of my recovery; I am still sometimes prone to chest infections, however I am generally well.”