Dozens of soldiers have backed our Race for a Donor Appeal by attending a testing clinic organised by the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Donor Trust.

Members of the Royal Dragoon Guards at the clinic which tested for a match for potential bone marrow donors; from left are Capt David Mounde, Sgt John Jennings, Maj Julian Woodhouse, and L Cpl Lee Hawkes

Fifty members of the Royal Dragoon Guards were tested for their suitability as potential bone marrow donors when the session was held at their base's medical centre at Tidworth, in the south of England.

The guards, whose

regimental headquarters is based in York and who recruit heavily in this region, decided to organise the clinic in response to an appeal for help by Wheldrake leukaemia victim Nicola Coates.

The 25-year-old student needs a bone marrow transplant to tackle her illness, and a series of donor sessions have been organised by the Trust to find someone with a good marrow match. The first in Wheldrake was attended by 50 people and another in York recruited another 100 on to the register.

The Evening Press revealed last week how two potential donors had now been found in America, and Nicola is currently awaiting details of when and how a transplant operation can go ahead.

Nicola appealed last week for people not to cancel appointments for donor clinics, saying other people needed transplants just as much as her. Her father Gary also urged people to go ahead with attending the clinics as planned, saying other fathers were in exactly the same plight as him.

The soldiers' clinic means 200 donor's details have now been added to the Trust register, giving the hope of life to leukaemia victims for decades to come.

Captain David Mounde, one of the organisers of the soldiers' donor clinic, said: "The Royal Dragoon Guards is totally committed to helping such a good cause. Our thoughts are with Nicola and we wish her well."

Regimental Medical Officer, Major Julian Woodhouse, said: "Donating blood and placing yourself on a donor register is a big commitment and I was very pleased with the turn-out of donors. As well as Nicola, there are many more people out there who could benefit from this."

Nicola's father, Gary, praised the soldier's efforts, saying: "It's brilliant."

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