AN EMOTIONAL Orpington woman has told how devastation turned to joy after discovering her son had been saved by a Taiwanese bone marrow donor.

Debbie Howes, of Ferndown Avenue, walked out of Great Ormond Street Hospital in a state of shock.

She had just discovered her son Adam had become resistant to his latest chemotherapy treatment.

She realised the only hope for her son was for a bone marrow donor to come forward.

But Adam's rare tissue type had sparked fears a donor may never be found.

Then out of the blue, a nurse caught the pair as they were leaving the hospital with the news a bone marrow donor had just been located in Taiwan.

“I couldn't believe it,” the tearful mother-of-two explained.

“After all we have been through, it was hard to take in. There was just a sense of joy and relief running through me.

“My thoughts then turned to the tremendous action someone had taken to try and save lives.

“This was human kindness at its greatest. I just hope I am given the opportunity to say thank you for the news one day.

“Having had time to sink in, the joy and elation I was feeling soon began to turn to anguish as I started to contemplate what could go wrong.

“I realise there is still a long, rocky road ahead but these are very encouraging signs for Adam.”

Adam, six, who attends Crofton Infants School, has battled leukaemia since June 1998. He has undergone a range of treatments at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Now, his fight against the devastating disease has prompted mother Debbie to look at ideas of setting up a new clinic at Farnborough Hospital.

She wants to encourage people to speak to the Anthony Nolan Trust in a bid to increase numbers currently on the bone marrow register.

She added: “This is my way of giving something back.I just want to raise awareness of the disease and, through this, highlight what people can do to help save lives.”

Anthony Nolan Trust's development manager, Kay Carroll, said: “This is an ultimate act of human kindness.

“There is no greater gift someone can give in their lives. This is a devastating disease which severely limits life experiences.

But with the advances in research and treatment most children now have a good chance of survival if a donor is found.

“The trust is always looking for new donors who must be aged between 18 and 40 and in good health.”

For more information, call the Anthony Nolan Trust on 020 7284 1234.