Plea for help to save teenager's life

THE family of a teenager suffering from a rare cancer has made an impassioned plea for potential donors to come forward to provide a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Ben Rushworth, 17, who is studying for his A levels at Selby College and lives in nearby Brayton, needs the transplant as he battles chronic myeloid leukaemia. A recruitment session for potential donors is being held at York Hospital this week.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia is a rare type of cancer of the white blood cells. It affects about 700 people – mostly adults – in the UK each year.

Ben’s mother, Jo Rushworth, who works as a nurse at York Hospital, said: “If a match came through and was successful it would be life-changing for the whole family.”

Representatives from the Anthony Nolan Trust will be in York Hospital’s main reception area on Friday between 11am and 3pm when the public will be able to sign up to a register to donate bone marrow.

Donors must be in good health, aged between 18 and 40 and weigh more than eight stone.

Anyone unable to attend the York session can also join the register by logging on to anthonynolan.org.uk or calling 0303 303 0303.

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