Marrow for Marley: Video appeal for a donor for Marley Nicholls goes viral

The video shows six-year-old Marley Nicholls asking people to “get swabbed” as he is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant.

It comes just days before the South Wales Argus swab event to try to find a bone marrow donor.

We are holding the event in the Riverside Suite at Newport Leisure Centre this Saturday, April 20, between 10am and 4pm.

“Our message to as many of you as possible is simple, just please come and take this short, painless test to see if you could be a match for Marley,” said Argus editor Nicole Garnon

“This really is a race against time.

“We have had absolutely fantastic support from Newport Live, who are letting us use their room at the leisure centre, from Newport Transport who have put our posters on their buses and from businesses who are helping us publicise the event.

“Now what we need is for as many people to turn up as possible.”

So far, tens of thousands of people have signed up to the bone marrow register after hearing of Marley’s plight.

Sadly, a match has yet to be found for the six year old who suffers from aplastic anaemia.

Celebrities including model and presenter Heidi Klum and The Rock have also backed the campaign.

Marley’s condition, means that his bone marrow cells are not functioning correctly and he desperately needs a bone marrow donor to be able to have the childhood that he deserves.

Marley has undergone several blood transfusions and is currently travelling to and from Great Ormond Street Hospital to take part in a clinical trial of immunosuppressant therapy

The hope is this will gain more time for a donor to be found.

We are urging our readers to come along and take part by filling out a short form and completing a quick swab. By doing this, you could be the match to save Marley’s life.

If you would like to sign up to the bone marrow register, visit www.anthonynolan.org or www.dkms.org.uk/en/with-marley.