MORE than 200 Bury Times readers have offered life-saving bone marrow following our moving report on leukaemia victim Aimee Read.

The massive response has been described by charity officials as "the best ever from a local newspaper".

It has led to two screening sessions being set up in the town in a bid to find a bone marrow match for five-year-old Aimee, who is pictured with mum Wendy.

Information evenings to explain what screening is all about will be held at Castle Leisure Centre on Wednesday, September 10, at 8pm and on Wednesday, September 17, at Ramsbottom Working Men's Club. They will be followed by a donor clinic on Sunday, September 28, at 8pm at the Louise Brooks Health Studios in Chapel Street, Bury, and Wednesday, October 15, at Ramsbottom WMC at 7pm. Aimee, from Moorcroft in Edenfield, has had unsuccessful chemotherapy and now her only chance of survival is a bone marrow transplant.

A search of more than 300,000 blood samples has failed to find the vital match .

Yesterday (August 21) Mr Steve Joyce from the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust paid tribute to Bury Times readers: "Without such a tremendous response we would not have been able to organise these screenings. Finding a match now really is Aimee's last hope." And he had some reassuring words for would-be donors.

"There is nothing to be frightened of, no pain and no danger.

"The purpose of the information evenings is to make people aware of all the facts."

At the clinic donors will fill out a medical questionnaire and a small blood sample will be taken .

The sample is then tested and tissue-typed and put on a worldwide register of donors.

There is only one transplant for every 1,000 donors each year. "The vast majority of people who give blood will never hear from us again. A match is only ever found for a small number - but that match could be the one to save a life like Aimee's," said Mr Joyce.

For details about the donor sessions, or how to help raise funds needed for the screenings and tissue-typing, contact Mr Joyce on 0161 795 9152.

The Horse and Jockey on Burnley Road, Edenfield, is holding a fund-raising race day on August 31. From 1.30 to 5pm there will be a family barbecue and games with evening TV horse racing for parents. Anyone with other fund-raising ideas should call Terry Beddis on 01706 826406.

The landlord of Ramsbottom's Major Hotel is organising a sponsored fancy dress pub crawl on September 7. Entry forms from David Sutherland on 01706 824759.

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