A British woman who donated her blood stem cells to a sick boy and saved his life is urging others to do the same. She made her heartfelt appeal on Sky News this weekend.

Susan Ratcliffe joined the Anthony Nolan register in 1977, which the charity uses to match volunteers willing to donate their blood stem cells to patients with blood cancer in need of a transplant.

In October 2008 the charity contacted her to tell her that she was a perfect match for a young Maltese boy, and she donated her blood stem cells six months later.

Susan communicated with the family anonymously for two years, and in September 2011, Susan and her husband Tony flew to Malta to meet Leon and his family for the first time.

Susan told Sky News: “Thirty-one years ago I was watching the local news about a woman who was looking for a bone marrow donor for her sick child. So I decided to go along and join the register. I never thought anything more about it.”

Leon, now 12, and his family have come to the UK to spend New Year with Susan and Tony.

Susan has even found the perfect Christmas present for Manchester United fan Leon − manager Alex Ferguson donated four tickets to their home game on New Year’s Eve.

Susan said: “Leon’s life is his own to live as he should be living it. It is just great. I would urge anybody who wants to do something good this new year to join the trust. Make a difference to somebody else this New Year’s Eve. He is living proof that it works.”

There are currently over 430,000 people on the Anthony Nolan register, but the charity can only find a match for half the people who come to them in need of a lifesaving transplant.

To double the number of lives they help save, they want to grow the register to one million potential donors. To sign up, you simply need to fill in a short application form and give a small saliva sample.