A TEENAGER whose life was saved by a bone marrow transplant will today come face to face with the donor he calls his "guardian angel".

Peter Dunnington-Waters was just 11-years-old when he was diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disease called aplastic anaemia.

It was only thanks to a perfect match from a female donor from half way across the globe that he was able to undergo a lifesaving operation.

Now the 15-year-old, of Newton Aycliffe, in County Durham, is fighting fit and has travelled with his family to the USA to finally meet his donor and say thank you.

"I'm quite excited and nervous at the same time," said the UTC South Durham pupil. "I don't know how I will react at the moment. She saved my life."

Along with his mother and father, Helen and Philip Dunnington-Waters, Peter will present his donor Courtney Miller with a box of mementoes including a keyring engraved with "Because of you I live".

Mother-of-one Mrs Miller, of Ohio, was just 22 when she made the selfless donation just before Peter's diagnoses.

In September 2012 the Dunnington-Waters received the devastating news of Peter's illness.

The following month the youngster went into hospital where he was placed into a sterile environment, given a week's course of chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant - following a match found by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.

Peter made a remarkably speedy recovery but was forced to stay at home with little contact with the outside world.

He was home-schooled for a few months but took a turn for the worst when he contracted sepsis as a result of a Hickman line, a tube in the chest used to administer medication.

"We were minutes away from losing him," said Mrs Dunnington-Waters.

Due to donor-recipient policy, the family were unable to have initial direct contact but each party sent cards.

But last year in November, and three years after Peter's operation, the family decided they wanted to find the donor.

"We knew after three years we could find who the donor was and asked if it was possible," she added. "Within three weeks we got an email from Anthony Nolan saying 'here are the details'."

The family found Mrs Miller on Facebook, exchanged messages and have been in "constant touch" ever since.

This year they arranged to meet up in person in Florida where they will come together today.

It is thanks to Starlight, a charity which grants wishes to sick children, that the family settled on the destination.

Peter submitted a wish to go to Florida to swim with dolphins in 2013 but due to his medication restricting travel outside the country. he was unable to take up the grant until now.