Donor found for little Margot Martini
Little Margot Martini, who is battling a rare form of leukaemia, has been matched to a suitable donor, it has been announced.
Margot, aged 17 months, has captured the hearts of thousands who have followed her and her family's search for a matching bone marrow donor.
More than 12,000 people joined the Facebook page and with 40,000 people registering with charity Delete Blood Cancer to see if they could help Margot by requesting swabbing packs.
But tonight, it appears, that search is over after the child's parents, Yaser and Vicki, who is originally from Essington, released a statement via Facebook announcing she is to undergo treatment.
It said: "After an amazing worldwide appeal for new stem cell donors, we are delighted to tell you that we now have a confirmed stem cell donor for Margot and can move forward with her bone marrow transplant.
"We were searching for a perfect match for Margot and whilst we didn't find her perfect match, we are assured by the medical team at Great Ormond Street Hospital that the identified donor that has come forward is an 'adequate match' with regard to their tissue type and a good option for us to pursue.
"Given the timing of her chemotherapy programme and the medical advice and recommendations received, we have taken the decision to seize this opportunity and avoid any delay in Margot's treatment.
"We know very little about the donor, but we nevertheless wish to thank him for agreeing to donate bone marrow and to meeting the timetable proposed by the doctors. We very much hope to meet him one day."
They also praised supporters who had stepped forward to help Margot's cause.
They added: "We also wish to thank everyone that has responded so positively to our appeal and registered and / or shared our plight with others around the world. Together we have sparked an astonishing and unprecedented public response: over 50,000 people to date in the UK alone have expressed an interest in becoming potential stem cell donors."
