Welsh international rugby player Ethan Davies has issued an urgent plea for a donor after being diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.
The 28-year-old represented Wales on the Sevens World Series circuit between 2015 and 2020, holding a full-time Sevens contract during that period. He was one of the nation's most prolific scorers on the circuit and also represented his country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Davies had signed for Pontypool RFC in the Welsh Championship after finishing with the Sevens programme and was training as an electrician. But he has now been diagnosed with Hepatosplenic T cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
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In a statement, Davies said: "For those that don't already know, I have been diagnosed with Hepatosplenic T cell Lymphoma. It's a very rare form of cancer that is affecting my liver and spleen.
"To beat this I'm going to need a stem cell transplant and for that to happen I need to find a donor. So the more people I can reach with this, the better chance I have of finding a match. Not only that, if you aren't a match for me you could be for someone else and save their life.
"Initially I had no intentions of posting anything on social media about this but after thinking things over it makes more sense to do so. The more people that sign up, the more matches they will find for others as well.
"Even if one person finds a match from me doing this it will have made a difference. It's easy to join the donor list, you simply have to sign up and return a mouth swab that is sent to you in the post.
"If you are able to get tested, my family and I will be forever grateful. Tough few months ahead."
Wales age-grade star Davies added the quote: "He knows not his own strength, who hath not met adversity."
In February this year, he was treated for what was assumed to be a viral infection after it was discovered there was a deficiency of platelets in his blood. Medication returned levels to normal and it was assumed all was well.
But the low count returned in June this year and this time Davies also presented with a sore stomach. The medication did not work this time and he went to A&E last month, where a CT scan revealed that his spleen was twice its normal size. Bone marrow and blood tests later led to his cancer diagnosis.
The winger began chemotherapy today and will need a further course later this year and a stem cell transplant but nobody in Davies' family is a match.
Blood cancer charity DKMS says Davies now 'urgently needs to find a matching blood stem cell donor'.
* To sign up to become a donor, click here. *
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