FIVE years ago, Michael and Sharon Challenger feared their toddler Glenn might never recover from a rare form of leukaemia. The only possible treatment was a bone marrow transplant but none of his family could help and the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust had no suitable donors. Then, almost two years later, a donor was found and the three-year-old went on to have a successful transplant. As his family prepared to celebrate his eighth birthday, AMY BINNS spoke to Glenn and mum Sharon about their long journey back to normality.

FORMER leukaemia sufferer Glenn Challenger is all smiles as he looks forward to his eighth birthday party.

Football-mad Glenn, of Nares Road, Blackburn, couldn't wait to show off his birthday present to our photographer - a new Blackburn Rovers strip from proud parents Michael and Sharon, who mounted a massive search to find Glenn a bone marrow donor five years ago.

Hundreds of East Lancashire people flooded to clinics to be tested as suitable donors after his parents appealed for help to find the one person in 100,000 who could save their toddler.

Their dreams came true when a donor was found and Glenn slowly recovered after his life-saving bone marrow transplant.

The three-year-old who could barely walk because of his swollen stomach is now a budding athlete with an ambition to play for Rovers.

Glenn was only 18 months old when he was diagnosed as having one of the world's rarest illnesses.

His mum was told by doctors she was just being over-protective when she insisted there was something wrong with her baby.

But he continued to bruise and bleed severely from the slightest wound and tests found he was the only person in Britain to suffer from myelomonocytic leukaemia.

Sharon said: "We thought we would be able to donate and when we couldn't we were devastated. There was no point testing anyone else in the family, as they would be further away from matching than we were."

The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust also drew a blank when they searched their registers and his parents could do nothing but hope a suitable donor would join the register before it was too late. But they decided not to sit back and wait and instead started a campaign to encourage more people to join.

During 1993 and 1994, hundreds of East Lancashire people were tested at special clinics set up in Accrington, Blackburn and other areas.

Dad Mick's colleagues from Newmans Footwear, Blackburn, volunteered and Sharon's colleagues from Blackburn Town Hall also joined the register.

Although one of the volunteers was found to be a suitable match for another leukaemia patient, Glenn continued to wait.

When Sharon found she was expecting Liam, now five, she hoped her new baby's bone marrow would be able to save her first son. A doctor stood by at the birth to test him but Liam's tissues were not similar enough to Glenn's.

Then in October 1994, a donor joined the register in the south of England and was found to match Glenn's tissues.

Glenn had intense chemotherapy for six weeks to kill off his affected marrow. Then the man, who has never met the family and still wishes to remain anonymous, donated his own bone marrow to replace Glenn's.

He was home in time for Christmas but only a day later suffered a severe relapse and was rushed back to hospital.

Sharon remembers: "We were expecting a happy Christmas and for him to come home and then to end up going back was awful. "They thought he had measles but they couldn't treat him until they knew exactly what it was. Because it was Christmas, all the labs were shut and they couldn't test him.

"He was in an old Victorian ward in Pendlebury, I called it the black hole of Calcutta..

"They say Christmas is a time for children but when you are among children that are so poorly, it's terrible. That was the worst time. Father Christmas came to look through the window in his room, Glenn looked and looked away. He just couldn't be bothered. We brought his toys but he couldn't be bothered with them either." His dad continued to work full time, dashing to the Manchester hospital every evening. He barely saw his youngest son as he returned long after Liam had gone to bed

Glenn still remembers his father's visits and said: "My Dad would do anything for me when I was ill. He drew Snow White pictures and stuck them all round my bed and he brought me a Pepsi Max every day."

He was allowed home after two months on heavy medication, including more than 20 tablets a day.

Now Glenn has got the future all mapped out. He said: "I like school but I'm going to leave when I'm 15 and be a footballer for Blackburn Rovers, Coventry and Liverpool. Then when I'm about 29, I'm going to work in a museum and show people the dinosaurs."

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