Son of popular local restaurateurs urgently needs a life-saving match

LOCALS are coming out in droves to support Seb Stockdale – the son of Stockpot Kitchen founders Jen and Graeme Stockdale – who is searching for a donor match after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of blood and bone marrow cancer.

The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Lismore Donor Centre has been inundated with bookings since the family began appealing for donors via Facebook last month.

“Lismore has the highest stem cell registry in Australia now, which is pretty cool,” Seb said. “If they don’t save me, they might save someone else.”

The 20-year-old had just begun a working holiday at Niseko ski resort in Japan in December when he started experiencing symptoms of anaemia, followed by nausea, vomiting and a loss of appetite.

After a cyst under his arm developed into an abscess, a blood test at a Japanese clinic revealed signs of leukaemia.

Upon returning home, further tests at Gold Coast University Hospital confirmed a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia with FLT-3 mutation.

Seb’s parents, who relocated their restaurant in 2020 after five years at The Bowlo in Bangalow, are now supporting their son as he undergoes intensive treatment. Seb is currently living in a Robina apartment subsidised by the Sony Foundation while he receives chemotherapy and other treatments in preparation for a bone marrow transplant.

His parents, brother and friends are taking turns staying with him throughout his treatment – with many also shaving their heads in solidarity.

The Stockdale family has been overwhelmed by support from the local community, including a GoFundMe campaign started by Seb’s aunt that has raised more than $8000 to help them through this difficult period.

“We have received support from pretty much everyone we know and everyone is going and donating,” Seb said.

Doctors and nurses have advised Seb that it typically takes around three months to find a suitable donor match.

Most bone marrow donors come from Germany, which has the highest number of registered donors in the world due to extensive public education and registration efforts by organisations such as DKMS (German Bone Marrow Donor Center).

The family is urging anyone aged between 18 and 35 to have their blood tested to see if they are a match and to register on the Bone Marrow Register.

For more information on where to donate and make a booking, visit lifeblood.com.au