A COUNTY Durham mother is urging people to sign up as bone marrow donors less than a fortnight before her son undergoes a lifesaving transplant operation.

Peter Dunnington-Waters, of Newton Aycliffe, was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia two months ago, and doctors told his distraught family he would need a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Prior to his diagnosis, the 11-year-old, who attends Sugar Hill Primary School, had been a healthy and happy boy, who loved nothing more than riding his bike and attending drama club.

Peter’s mum, Helen Dunnington-Waters said Peter’s diagnosis had been “extremely harrowing.”

“A couple of weeks before his diagnosis I noticed some bruises on his legs that were unusual so I took him to the doctors for a check-up and one thing lead to another,” she said.

“The diagnosis has been really tough – he’s too ill to go to school and he’s really missing all his friends.

"But being told that his only chance of survival was a bone marrow transplant was even harder, because we know that not everyone finds a matching donor.”

Fortunately, blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan found Peter a match from its register of bone marrow donors and his transplant will go ahead at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary on November 28.

After his operation, he will have to remain in isolation for up to eight weeks so the family is celebrating Christmas on Sunday.

Peter’s older sister, Lauren, 23, has also flown back from New Zealand to spend time with her brother.

There are currently over 460,000 people on the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register, but the charity can only find a match for around half of those in need of a transplant.

Keen to help other families in their position, the Dunnington-Waters’ are holding a donor recruitment drive at Darlington College on Monday, November 19, and are calling on the community to sign up by filling in a short form and providing a saliva sample.

Peter’s other sister Jennifer, 17, is also asking for donations for the charity on her fundraising page, justgiving.co.uk/jtpsavealife

“Finding a bone marrow donor for Peter has given us hope, but we know that not everyone is as lucky as us,” said Mrs Dunnington-Waters.

For more information on Anthony Nolan visit anthonynolan.org