Workers launch campaign to save young lives

3:49pm Wednesday 23rd June 2004

TWO workers from Asda, Watford, have launched a campaign to help save a young life after being moved to tears by the story of four brothers with a rare, life-threatening disease.

The store's communication co-ordinator, Shlomit Williams, and cashier, Rose Glenister, wept when they read about the plight of the Hartley boys from Romsey, Hampshire.

The four boys all have X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), a rare condition which attacks the immune system.

Without bone marrow transplants the future for Joshua, 12, Nathan, aged ten, Daniel, aged eight, and Luke Hartley, aged four, will not live through their teenage years.

But while Joshua will receive a transplant from his mother, Allison, and a match has been found for Daniel, time is running out for Nathan and Luke.

Determined to do something to help the two boys, Mrs Williams and Mrs Glenister recruited 20 of their colleagues to take part in a screening project.

Today (Wednesday) staff from the Anthony Nolan Trust took blood samples from the workers at the store.

Mrs Williams hopes one of her colleagues would be a match for one of the boys.

Mrs Williams said the staff members taking part would all go on the national bone marrow register after the screening.

"Even if there is not a match for one of the boys among us, we will be registered on the database, so we may be able to save the life of someone else," she said.

Anyone who is healthy and aged between 18 and 40 can join the Anthony Nolan Trust register and see if they are a match for the boys.

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