A BELBROUGHTON family have launched a desperate appeal to help find a stem cell donor to help save their little boy's life.

Paul and Jo Hill have been through "two years of hell" since their young son Finley, aged seven, fell ill and they have been told the youngster's only hope of survival is to find a stem cell donor.

The schoolboy, who attends Hagley Primary School, has been diagnosed with rare immune system disorder familial HLH (familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis) which results in damaged and enlarged organs, and his dad Paul said: "Without stem cell treatment he will die."

Finley, who is under the care of Birmingham Children's Hospital and Great Ormond Street in London, underwent an eight-and-a-half hour brain operation last August and is currently on immunosuppressants and steroids to keep his condition under control but the search is now on to try to find a suitable donor.

The youngster's parents, who run Brookfield Nurseries in Quantry Lane at Bell Heath, have now organised a stem cell donor drive, in conjunction with the charity DKMS, which will take place at Hagley Primary School on Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12 (9am to 4pm).

Paul, aged 50, said: "Not only will it help my little boy it could help somebody else’s - or a little girl or an adult."

He said he was shocked to discover only two per cent of people in the UK are on the stem cell donor list. To find out more about registering to be a donor go to https://www.dkms.org.uk/en/register-now.

The family are pinning their hopes on finding a suitable match for Finley and they are hoping the community will turn out in force to see if they can help their little boy who Paul describes as "a right little character".

He told the News becoming a donor is easier than people may think and he added: "It doesn’t require lots of time off work. You can have a sore back or headache the next day but you might not - and you’ll have saved a life in the process."

It does, however, cost the charity £40 a time to take a swab to register a potential donor so the family hope to hold a raffle on the day to help raise money for DKMS to thank the organisation for its support.

Any businesses or individuals wishing to donate to the raffle can contact the family via the Facebook page Finn the Fabulous.