Donor hope for bone marrow girl

Anna Culshaw pictured with her father Eddie

Three possible bone marrow donors have been found for a seven-year-old girl who has a rare form of cancer.

The parents of Anna Culshaw from Carrog in Denbighshire were told of the donor matches during a consultation at Alder Hey Children's Hospital this week.

Special donor clinics were held near Anna's home last month to see if any matches could be found.

The Liverpool hospital confirmed that Anna is now top of the list for a transplant which is expected very soon.

Anna's father Eddie Culshaw said it was a "luxury" that three matches had been identified although it is not known whether they had emerged from the clinics held locally or elsewhere in the UK.

He said Anna was now top of the list for a transplant at Alder Hey and the potential donors were now being medically screened and given counselling.

'Lovely girl

Anna's condition - myelodisplasia -stops her bone marrow making enough red blood cells, and she needs regular blood transfusions. The only hope of a cure is via a donor.

Last month more than 300 people - some from as far away as mid Wales - were tested at Anna's school, Ysgol Caer Drewyn in Corwen, at a special clinic arranged by the Anthony Nolan trust.

Acting head teacher Jayne Davies said the school had been more than willing to help.

"The staff and parents are keen to do anything they can to help Anna," she said. "She is a lovely girl, with lots of friends in the school".

Another clinic was also arranged at the bakery in Coedpoeth, Wrexham where Anna's mother works.

A spokeswoman for Alder Hey hospital confirmed the three possible matches had been found.

Football team

"One of them is a very strong match indeed and Anna's operation is now expected to take place very soon," she said.

In the transplant, a donor's bone marrow would be "harvested" during an hour long procedure carried out under general anaesthetic.

The marrow is extracted from a donor's pelvic bone using a needle and syringe.

The person normally stays in hospital for a night or two and may feel tiredness or discomfort in the lower back afterwards.

In March three players from Anna's favourite football team Everton - Kevin Kilbane, David Weir and Leon Osman - paid her a visit to wish her well.