NICOLA Coates's story of her long battle against leukaemia has touched hearts in America - boosting efforts to find more bone marrow donors.

Nicola, from Wheldrake, has written an article for the Action Advertiser in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, whose managing editor is her donor, Scott Wittchow.

Scott has also written about his own emotional experiences in giving marrow and then eventually discovering who had benefited. The two articles are reproduced in tonight's Evening Press. Scott has now told Nicola how readers have responded in their droves to the story, with many deciding to join an American bone marrow register, and others offering to help pay for Nicola and her parents to travel to Wisconsin to meet Scott.

"Many, many people have commented on the story that you wrote," Scott said in an email. "I cannot remember getting so many comments, so I know that it was read by many people and you really touched them with your story. I had a fellow, a friend, come up to me yesterday and he had tears in his eyes telling me what a great story we had in our paper. He wanted to give me money toward your ticket to fly to Fond du Lac. He said he had been talking and others would also chip in."

He said the Fond du Lac chapter of the American Red Cross had said the story had educated people about bone marrow donations.

"Several people have called and inquired about getting on the bone marrow list

Many have emailed me also, as I had my contact information in the sidebar story. One of my high school classmates and his wife came up to me the other night and said they had already made an appointment to get their blood tested."

Nicola said today she found the reaction to her article "really touching".

Updated: 10:53 Monday, October 14, 2002