A KIND-HEARTED Tranent man sacrificed his honeymoon to save the life of a stranger.

Gareth Glynn registered as a potential blood stem cell donor with blood cancer charity DKMS in May last year.

He signed up after his dad Scott, founder of the Walk with Scott Foundation, was diagnosed with liver cancer and told he needed a transplant to survive.

Scott had his transplant last October and this month, just 30 weeks post-operation, completed a 30-mile walk round East Lothian for good causes.

While his dad was recovering from that operation, Gareth donated stem cells to allow someone a second chance at life.

That did, though, mean that he and his new wife Heather, who tied the knot in March, were forced to postpone their honeymoon.

Gareth, of the town’s Winton Terrace, said: “We had planned to go around the coast of Scotland but, as this person really needed my help, we of course decided to postpone our honeymoon – the coast of Scotland isn’t going anywhere!”

Instead of a trip around the country, the couple got a dog, naming it Honey.

The 30-year-old, who works for packaging company Interflex Group, shared his story to mark DKMS’ World Blood Cancer Day on Monday.

“When I got told I was a matching donor that’s when the superhero feeling kicked in,” Gareth said.

“It’s a strange feeling knowing that you could potentially save someone’s life but such a proud moment.”

The former Ross High School pupil, who has walked alongside his dad in each of the six Walks with Scott, also encouraged people to sign up to be a donor.

Gareth added: “It’s a simple process to register for your home swab kit, swab your cheeks and then return the kit.

“To know that you could potentially help save someone’s life, you can’t ask for much more than that.”

And he reflected on an “extremely proud” moment, saying: “If I had to summarise my donation experience I would say it’s been rewarding, heart-warming and an extremely proud moment that I will never forget.”

His dad, 55-year-old Elphinstone Road resident Scott, added: “He was going through a hard time with my battle as well.

“It was great that he took that approach and wanted to do something to help other people – the fact that he was able to and it worked is amazing.

“We’re really proud of him.”

Lisa Nugent, head of donor recruitment at DKMS, said: “A huge thank you to Gareth for being such a dedicated donor and helping to give this stranger a second chance of life.

“Gareth is just one of many donors who selflessly put the needs of others before their own. We hope he and his wife Heather get to enjoy their postponed honeymoon round the coast of Scotland.

“DKMS has over eight million potential lifesavers worldwide on standby but despite this, four out of 10 people in need of a blood stem cell donor won’t find a matching donor.

“We would urge anyone between the ages of 17 and 55 in general good health to register online for your home swab kit at dkms.org.uk and you could be called up like Gareth. We’ll continue our fight against blood cancer, registering as many potential lifesavers as possible. We will not stop until there is a match for everyone in need of a blood stem cell transplant.”