Seb Stockdale is in the fight of his life, and Lismore is fighting alongside him.

The 20-year-old local, known to many through his family’s much-loved business Stockpot Kitchen, urgently needs a stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with an aggressive blood cancer. Since his family shared the news, the response from the community has been immediate and overwhelming, and it’s continuing to grow well beyond the Northern Rivers.

At the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Lismore Donor Centre, more than 60 locals have already joined a dedicated team called Seb’s Stem Cell Success, with 53 officially added to the national stem cell registry. But as Seb’s dad, Graeme, explains, that figure only captures one part of what’s happening.

“That’s just Lifeblood in Lismore,” he said. “There’d be heaps more registering through Stem Cell Donors Australia and at other Lifeblood centres.”

Across Australia, friends, family and even strangers are stepping up. In Graeme’s hometown of Albany, supporters are campaigning hard. In Townsville, his grandmother is sharing the message just as strongly. Registrations are flowing through Stem Cell Donors Australia, where eligible donors aged 18 to 35 can order a free cheek swab kit to their home.

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“They send it to you, you swab the inside of your cheek, wrap it up and send it back,” Graeme said. “I know heaps of people who’ve done it that way because they’re a bit scared of the whole giving blood thing.”

For those comfortable donating blood or plasma, joining the registry can also happen during a Lifeblood appointment. Either way, the goal is the same, to find a match for Seb, and for others waiting.

Stem cells are specialised cells found in bone marrow, the soft tissue inside your bones. They have the unique ability to develop into different types of blood cells, which makes them crucial for healing and immune function. For patients with blood cancers such as leukaemia, a stem cell transplant replaces diseased cells with healthy ones from a donor, restoring the body’s ability to produce healthy blood and rebuild the immune system. For many, it represents the best chance at long-term survival.

Although around 175,000 Australians are registered as stem cell donors, only about 24 per cent are currently considered suitable due to age and updated testing standards. Younger donors, particularly men aged 18 to 35, offer better outcomes for patients and are urgently needed.

For the Stockdale family, those statistics are deeply personal. Seb has just finished his second round of chemotherapy. The treatment has knocked him around, but Graeme says his son’s strength continues to shine through.

“The rest of his body is absolutely great,” he said. “He’s strong, he’s young, he’s fit. Everything else inside him is good. It’s just that damn blood and marrow that’s put a bit of a damper on it all.”

Between treatment cycles, Seb has periods where he feels relatively well, but the uncertainty is constant.

“When Seb’s in hospital, things can change really easily with this sort of thing, especially after chemo,” Graeme said. “The prognosis one day might be totally different the next. It’s a really hard thing for your brain to get around.”

The family, who run a tight-knit business where staff feel more like extended relatives, are leaning on each other as they navigate each day.

“We’re doing a lot of trying to hold each other up… just taking it day by day,” Graeme said.

Still, it’s Seb’s outlook that continues to inspire.

“He can always see a silver lining. He’s very positive. He’s sure he’s going to find his match. But he’s very happy that thousands of other people are going to find theirs as well.”

That perspective has turned one young man’s diagnosis into something much bigger. The registrations in Lismore are significant. The growing numbers across the country are extraordinary. But at the heart of it all is a local family hoping and believing that somewhere out there is the person who can give Seb his second chance.

Once again, Lismore is showing what it does best… wrapping its arms around its own and doing everything possible to help.