Saints ackd ordrive to save Matt

• Northampton Saints stars Ben Foden, Courtney Lawes, Shane Geraghty, Chris Ashton and Dylan Hartley give their support tothe campaign to find a bone marrow donor for Northampton School for Boys pupil, 15-year-old Matt Herbert Submitted picture

to find a suitable donor.David Knights, director of commu-

nication for the Anthony Nolan Trust,said the process of being tested was assimple as spitting in a cup.

A LEUKAEMIA expert has urged Hesaid:"Ifyouare not on the registeras many people as possible to then you are obviously never

going to come up as ajoin the bone marrow regis- match.ter and help save the life of a "You might be theNorthampton schoolboy. only person who can

Matt Herbert, aged 15, is des- save Matt's life but ifperately in need of a lifesaving you are not on the reg-bone marrow transplant as he ister wewillnever find

I battles leukaemia in hospital. you."Doctors have so far failed to He also said there

find Matt, pictured right, a Year are myths about how10pupil at Northampton Schoolfor hard it is to give boneBoys, a transplant match. marrow if a match is

Yesterday,as reported in the identified.Chron, a campaign backed GivingbonemarrowbyNorthamptonSaints, nowtakesaboutfourthe Cobblers and hours and is noNorthampton- more painfulshire County than givingCricket Club blood.was launched to M rfind him a Knightsdonor. 'f said: "A

The Matt's lotofpeo- fMatch cam- ple tend For in ormationpaign is organ- to think about how you canising a series of g i v in g help the appeal Idonor sessions bonemar-a c r 0 s s row will . log on toNorthHmnjon __~ ~~~~, ••••__,,"~~~L."~_d~.d~~.: ~henajnfil~LI~~~ ~ I

By John HarrisonChronicle Reporterjohn. harrison@northantsnews.co.uk

wewillhave to gointo the boneand thatis just not the case. The most commoncomplaint is that it is a bit boring."

Matt, a talented rugby player at OldNorthamptonians, was first diagnosedwith leukaemia in December 2008.

After going into remission doctorsthen found the leukaemia had returnedat a routine check-up in September.

Gary Hammersley, who is helping torun the Matt's Match appeal, said theteenager is now facing a race againsttime to find a bone marrow match.

He said: "Chemotherapy won't helpMatt in the long term. Heneeds a trans-plant."

Asked how Matt and his parents,Kevin and Glenda, are feeling, Gary, afamily friend, said: "It is everyparent's worst nightmare and they arein the middle of that nightmare.

"They are now completelyreliant onsomebody coming forward who is amatch for Matt."

The first donor sessionwillbeheldonSaturday, November 21, at SixfieldsStadium, between' 12.30pm and6.30pm.