Liverpool FC stars joined supporters yesterday to help the fight against blood cancer.
Reds goalkeeper Brad Jones, alongside partner Dani Lawrence, backed the Anthony Nolan Trust's drive after losing his five-year-old son Luca to leukaemia in 2011.
The couple thanked the club and the potential bone marrow donors who turned out to sign up to the charity's register at Anfield.
Dani, who is an active campaigner for the trust and its donor register, said: "I have met several people who needed a donor or have donated.
"Andy Mitchell was a donor and then met the guy whose life he saved.
"He now does what I do and helps to teach teenagers about bone marrow donation.
"It just shows how life-changing it was for him.
"It is hard to talk about what happened to Luca but it is harder not to talk about it.
"We would rather help people and obviously we do not want his life to be in vain."
Dozens of volunteers gave a small saliva sample and joined the register yesterday.
Dani, 26, said: "It takes seconds to give a sample and it can save lives of people who need a bone marrow or blood transplant.
"I used to think it was a big operation to donate and of course it is a big decision, but the process isn't that bad and Andy did not have any side effects."
The Liverpool FC Foundation, the club's charity, hopes to build upon the event next year.
Jenner Mackay-James, regional recruitment manager at Anthony Nolan, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be working with Liverpool FC to recruit new bone marrow donors to the Anthony Nolan register.
"We particularly need young men aged 16 to 30 to sign up, so working with Liverpool is the perfect way to reach that key demographic."
For more information go to www.anthonynolan.org.
Source: Liverpool Echo
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