Skeets Squad go dry this July for their mate Matt Skeet during his battle with acute myeloid leukaemia

Dry July has taken on a whole new meaning for a group of Albany residents as they watch their friend Matt Skeet battle acute myeloid leukaemia. At 42, the Albany father was diagnosed with the disease in January after he attended the emergency department with a sore leg. He had to relocate to Perth for treatment, where he is awaiting a bone marrow donation, with his wife Jodene and two daughters, Poppy, 8, and Maggie, 6, by his side. Now, a group of more than 50 people have banded together to create Skeets Squad, going without alcohol for the month of July to show their support. They want to raise awareness on the importance of bone marrow donations for leukaemia patients — and how they can save the lives of people like Mr Skeet. “A month without booze is nothing compared to what Matt is going through,” Skeets Squad member Sophie McLaren said. A bone marrow match has been found for Mr Skeet overseas. His wife said although their spirits remained high, there was no guarantee of recovery. “Without that bone marrow match, Matt is guaranteed to die,” she said. “We had a first match but they pulled out and we are on to the second. “With every match, you go further down the line and there is less chance it is going to take but we are going to see how we go.” Knowing the importance of bone marrow donations, Skeet’s Squad are campaigning to get more people to join the registry. Mrs Skeet said it involved a simple test that could mean the world to families like hers. “It’s a swab in the mouth to go on the registry and if you are matched you still have the option to do it or not,” she said. “Why isn’t it that when you go and get your licence, you tick a box and do a tongue swab to go on the registry and you could save a life?” Skeets Squad have already raised $20,000 just a week into July. “We don’t have the words for the gratitude that we feel and it is exactly what Matt needs for his spirit,” Mrs Skeet said. “One thing we have noticed throughout the experience, we are so fortunate to have such a beautiful community around us.” To donate, visit dryjuly.com/teams/skeets-squad.