Barnet's ethnic communities are being urged to register as potential bone marrow donors by the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

Only seven per cent of donors registered with the trust are of African, Asian, Caribbean or Jewish descent.

According to Marilyn Keats, chairperson of the Barnet Friends of Anthony Nolan, the scarcity of donors makes it particularly difficult for those from ethnic and mixed race backgrounds to find the person who might be able to save their life.

"Donations are urgently required, especially from men," she said.

For some patients suffering with leukaemia and other related blood disorders, their only chance of survival is to have a bone marrow transplant from a matched, unrelated donor. A suitable match is far more likely to be found in someone from the same ethnic background.

"In the unlikely event you are chosen to donate in the future, there will be no surgery involved, however," said Ms Keats. "The procedure will be very carefully explained, and the donor will have given the chance of life to someone from the same background."

Donors must be aged 18-43 and in good health. For information on how to become a donor, call 0901 88 22 234 (calls cost 25p per minute, a proportion of which goes to the Trust), or e-mail newdonor@anthonynolan.com

July 6, 2001 14:49