Vivian Campbell, guitarist for Def Leppard, expressed his gratitude towards his stem cell donor after confirming that his cancer is in complete remission for the first time since his 2013 diagnosis.
Campbell battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma and faced challenges after a transplant using his own stem cells failed, and a previously planned donor was unavailable. Now, he is preparing to join Def Leppard’s summer tour, having been temporarily replaced by John Zocco, guitar tech for bandmate Phil Collen, at some recent shows.
“I’ve been very lucky, actually,” Campbell told Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation. “I got an early diagnosis… and 10 years ago I did an autologous stem cell transplant, which means using my own stem cells. That didn’t work. The cancer kept coming back.”
Campbell revealed that his health had deteriorated significantly in recent years, acknowledging it was the first time he was seriously concerned about it. Doctors advised him that a donor transplant was his only chance for a cure.
He prepared for the procedure with “very hardcore chemo,” and surgery was planned for Thanksgiving last year. However, his donor became unavailable 10 days before the procedure. “But I was very fortunate that they found me another one in December. And on New Year’s Eve, I went into hospital,” Campbell said. “I was in for about three and a half weeks, and I did what has turned out to be a really, really successful transplant.”
A PET scan in mid-April confirmed Campbell is “100 percent clean – completely in remission for the first time in 12 or 13 years.”
Campbell expressed his desire to thank his donor, a 21-year-old man, saying, “There are 10 genetic markers, and this donor was 10 out of 10… Obviously, I’m gonna buy him a beer — or two or three!”
Discussing the donor’s contribution, Campbell noted, “It causes a lot of discomfort and bone pain… It is a pretty heavy lift, and I’m just glad there are some great people in the world.”
He hopes to meet his donor in the future. “After two years, they give you the option to contact your donor… But obviously, it’s a life-saving proposition, so I’d certainly want to express my gratitude.”
