THE FAMILY of a school girl fighting leukaemia are celebrating after reaching their £150,000 fundraising target.

But the success is tinged with sadness for Ayesha Siddiqui's parents after they were given the heartbreaking news that out of 15 million people on national and international bone marrow donor lists, not one of them is a perfect match.

Ayesha, who is having chemotherapy which is likely to continue for two years, might one day need a bone marrow transplant to save her life.

Though a partial match could be used, a full match would give Ayesha the best chance of survival.

Ayesha's dad, Nadeem, 51, from Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, said: "We have exceeded our target, but we want to shift the focus now to donor drives.

"We are absolutely overwhelmed. We never imagined we would be able to raise this sum."

In an effort to keep Ayesha's spirits up, the seven-year-old was guest of honour at a city shop opening.

She joined her mum Noreen, 47, and dad as she unveiled the new Yankee Candle shop in Buchanan Galleries.

And company director Aly Talakshi pledged to donate £5 from every special candle pack he sells to the appeal.

He said: "We are proud to help raise funds and awareness for such a great charity and brave girl."

Nadeem, who works as a cancer consultant at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, said discovering Ayesha had the illness last year was "like a bad dream".

She had been feeling ill, and doctors at Yorkhill Sick Kids' Hospital diagnosed a rare form of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, called Philadelphia Positive.

Doctors say she may need a bone marrow transplant, however none of the family, including her four-year-old brother Saif, are suitable.

The search for a suitable donor is difficult because Ayesha is from a mixed race background.

While 90% of northern European patients will find a match, only 40% of patients from an ethnic background are as fortunate.

Glasgow comedians and brothers Sanjeev and Hardeep Singh Kohli have joined the campaign, urging as many people as possible to join the charity Anthony Nolan bone marrow register.

The family, with the help of Anthony Nolan, launched the drive to find someone, but they also want to pay for processing new people who come forward to be tested.

It costs £100 for each new person to join the register.

Family and friends and even teachers at her school, Kirkhill Primary and Nadeem's hospital have arranged fundraising events.

The family have already visited Carrington Street Mosque, in the West End, Strathclyde University Mosque, in John Street, as well as running a stall at the Glasgow Mela to persuade people to sign up to the register.

They gathered 150 new donors, but they need more people to come forward.

Nadeem also backed the Evening Times' Opt for Life campaign, which will help people who need organ donations by changing the law to make everybody a donor unless they 'opt out'.

He said: "It's a little different as bone marrow is akin to giving a blood transfusion, but it's a very good idea.

"Whatever we're doing at the moment isn't working."

sarah.swain@ eveningtimes.co.uk