A MOTHER is considering having a child by IVF so its stem cells can save her son's life.

Jamie Zammit suffers the rare blood disorder Fanconi anaemia.

His only chance of survival is having a bone-marrow transplant from a perfect match donor.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has been searching for a donor for the eight-year-old since he was diagnosed in April last year.

Staff have now told his mother Donna IVF may have to be an option.

The treatment would enable her to conceive with an embryo which does not carry the faulty Fanconi gene.

Specialists would then harvest the stem cells from the baby's umbilical cord and inject them into Jamie.

Mum-of-four Mrs Zammit said: "I want to speed up the process for him and the best chance of finding a perfect match would be to have another child."

She added: "I have been informed in most cases such as mine, where there is more than one child, I will be declined IVF treatment as I have other children and it would be unethical to bring another child into the world.

"I cannot understand this. I can appreciate the ethics surrounding these issues but the ultimate goal is to save someone's life, knowing treatment is available, instead of giving someone a life sentence."

Princes Plain Primary School pupil Jamie has been taking steroids to keep his blood counts stable and also has regular transfusions.

But Mrs Zammit, of Chatterton Road, Bromley Common, says the longer he continues with this treatment the less likely his body is to accept the bone marrow.

She wants people to sign up to the Anthony Nolan Trust's bone marrow register to see if they are a perfect match because a baby conceived through IVF would be the last chance option.

The 34-year-old added: "GOSH said I should not lose hope.

"As Jamie's mother I want to help him.

"Unfortunately, I cannot donate my bone marrow as my husband and I are carriers of the faulty Fanconi gene.

"It has come to the point now where I just want to speed the process up on the donor search by doing something myself, which I why have contacted News Shopper.

"If I can encourage people to consider donating blood or becoming a bone marrow donor, I would feel as if I have achieved something."

The next Anthony Nolan Trust recruitment clinic will be held at Mrs Bond's Village Nursery, High Street, St Mary Cray, between 6pm and 8.30pm on October 24.

Call the trust on 020 7284 1234 for details about being a donor.

FANCONI ANAEMIA FACTS

THE disorder is caused by the hereditary loss of both copies of the Fanconi anaemia gene.

Carrier frequency is estimated to be around one per 300 people, leading to an expected birth rate of approximately one per 360,000 people.

The disorder is named after the Swiss paediatrician who originally discovered it, Guido Fanconi.

Sufferers cannot successfully combat infections, bleeding, fatigue or spontaneous haemorrhaging.

Patients face an increased risk of getting cancer and other serious health problems throughout their lifetime.

Most people with the condition only live until their mid-20s.

The syndrome is more common in males than females.

People with the condition are born with skeletal abnormalities.