THE family of a three-year-old boy who has leukaemia are "excited and emotional" after a bone marrow donor was found.

Doctors said little Ryan Ferguson's only hope of survival was a bone marrow transplant after the East Kilbride youngster was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in August.

After hearing a donor had been found, dad Stuart Ferguson, 37, said: "I can't believe it. We weren't expecting it. It's very emotional. I've told friends and they have burst into tears."

In October, Stuart and wife Paula, together with blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, organised a donor drive in East Kilbride which became the most successful in Scotland.

More than 1000 people queued to become potential blood stem cell or bone marrow donors.

Those new potential donors are still being added to the register, so Ryan's donor is not thought to be among them.

Mr Ferguson said: "If it wasn't for these wonderful people then what chance would Ryan have? How wonderful would it be to be given the chance to save someone's life?"

Ryan has just finished a third round of chemotherapy in Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, where he is expected to remain for another three weeks.

The transplant process will begin later this month when he receives drugs to suppress his immune system. The transplant operation is likely to take place next month and Ryan will spend Christmas in isolation. Joiner Mr Ferguson said: "Our Christmas will start when Ryan comes home, January, February, whenever that is."

Ryan's elder brothers Calum, 10, and Andrew, 8, have designed Christmas cards to sell in a bid to reach a £10,000 fundraising target for the charity which pays £100 to tissue-type each volunteer's sample.

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