“Having your support definitely felt as though I wasn’t going to be on my own. It really is priceless.”

When Craig was told he’d need a stem cell transplant to treat his chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), he approached it like everything else in life — with determination, realism, and a desire to be prepared.

He read every patient guide, studied the side effects, and memorised the facts. He thought he had prepared himself for every twist and turn.

But as Craig reflects now, “Nothing could have prepared me for the reality.”

The transplant itself took only half an hour — his son, a partial match, donated his stem cells, which were infused into Craig’s bloodstream. But the weeks that followed were unexpectedly brutal.

Mouth ulcers made even a sip of water agony. “If your tongue touched your teeth, you’d just go into orbit,” Craig recalls. Eating became a necessity rather than a pleasure, as he struggled to maintain his weight. Complications from a pulled PICC line caused severe bladder spasms — “10 out of 10 pain,” he said — while graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) brought relentless itching. High-dose steroids brought sleepless nights and energy spikes at 3 a.m., accompanied by changes in personality that strained relationships at home.

“The steroids changed everything,” Craig shared. “They gave me energy but also changed how I reacted to things and how I saw the world. I wasn’t myself for a while.”

Even so, Craig faced each day with resilience. “You wake up every day and just think, ‘What’s next?’ It’s tough, but the sun still comes up, and the world keeps rotating.”

Through the chaos of recovery, there was also a very practical challenge. Craig and his family had to travel more than an hour each way to St Vincent’s Hospital for treatment. It was exhausting both physically and financially.

That’s when Arrow stepped in.

“Arrow helped us with fuel and grocery vouchers,” Craig said. “It might seem like a small thing, but it was huge. It meant we could get to the hospital without worrying about money. It took a mental load off, it gave a huge boost knowing someone was there for you. Priceless.”

Craig’s story is a powerful reminder of how compassion and practical support make a real difference. The doctors and nurses provide life-saving care, but your support provides something just as vital. It provides comfort, reassurance, and hope.

Your gift can help families like Craig’s face the unknown with one less worry.

Your generosity helps transplant patients find comfort and strength through their toughest journey, because no one should face these challenging days alone.

Please donate today and help patients like Craig face their toughest days with hope, comfort, and one less worry.