Edinburgh photographer set to be awarded by blood cancer charity for his ‘super’ fundraising efforts at the Tower of London next month.
Micah Stanbridge has been shortlisted for the Individual Fundraiser of the Year Award at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards 2019, after his mum’s life was saved by the charity. The seventh annual awards ceremony will recognise the outstanding achievements of the volunteers, fundraisers and campaigners who help the pioneering blood cancer charity save lives.
Micah’s nomination is in recognition of his incredible fundraising, which saw him take on an 65km ultra-marathon in 2016. Two years later he embark on an astounding 41-day cycle solo and unsupported across America as his alter-ego, SuperMarrowMan. Covered 10 states, the cycle required Micah to average a distance of 100 miles per day. Combining both of these challenges, Micah has raised nearly £11,000 for the charity.
The photographer’s mum was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was 15 years of age and after eight years of chemotherapy and with four months to live, Anthony Nolan found her a life-saving stem cell donor. Six years later, Micah’s friend Tom was also diagnosed with the disease, but tragically died at the age of 30 after he was unable to find a match. Micah wanted to do something to celebrate his mum’s survival, commemorate Tom and ultimately help other’s in the same position.
Micah said: “I didn’t expect it! It’s nice to be recognised, but I just think about the bigger picture and will keep doing what I’m doing to help people suffering. … Through my fundraising campaign, I wanted to try and educate people about the disease, and show how simple it is to help those who need it most, and to be a life saver”.
“The fact that I can go and visit my mum is because her donor signed up to the register through Anthony Nolan. She has been able to live another 14 years and is continuing to enjoy a healthy and active life. Anthony Nolan is a huge part of who I am”.
Micah Stanbridge
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, was not surprised by Micah’s nomination and said: “It is remarkable to see how many people support our work to find a match for those in need of a stem cell transplant. Without them, none of our life-saving work would be possible. Micah has shown tremendous commitment to Anthony Nolan by continuously going above and beyond in his fundraising efforts.”
The awards take place on Thursday 28 November 2019 at the Tower of London, where all winners will be revealed.
Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching stem cell donors for people with blood cancer and blood disorders and gives them a second chance at life. It also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.
In Scotland I attended Dunfermline High School from 2010 to 2016 and Edinburgh Napier University from 2016 to 2020, emerging with two Advanced Higher and five Higher qualifications from the former and graduating with an undergraduate bachelor of arts honours degree in journalism from the latter. After two years away from further education due to the coronavirus pandemic, I'm going to be studying the MFA Photography course at York St John University in England from 2022 to 2024. I've achieved The Duke of Edinburgh’s (Bronze) Award and received grade five level certification for electronic keyboard from Trinity College London. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, watching television series, listening to music and going to the cinema as well as catching up with friends, travelling by railway and hostelling overnight and overindulging in food and drinks in a pub or restaurant then having to go to the gym to burn it all off again.
By studying journalism and photography, my aim of practicing photojournalism professionally will hopefully be once step closer. Both are partial artforms requiring the rest of the work to be undertaken by the audience, the specialism of photojournalism, however, providing each of its two parts with greater context. Exploring photographic techniques (aerial, timelapse, editing) through a variety of journalistic styles (features, poetry, songwriting) will allow me to develop my portfolio, hone my camera skillset and narrow my focus further in anticipation of working life. Without a global pandemic to deal with this time. Fingers crossed.
