GENEROUS staff at Turton High School have been raising money to help pay for specialist treatment which could help a young boy live longer.

Denise Kelly's four-year-old son, Nathan Howarth, suffers from the rare genetic disorder fanconi anaemia.

The school has been busy collecting pennies and raffled a bike which boosted the appeal by £384.

Miss Kelly and her partner, Mick Howarth, of Marion Street, Great Lever, have been waiting for more than a year for test results from Europe which will identify the particular gene mutation behind Nathan's illness.

The couple eventually hope to have revolutionary treatment which involves IVF embryos being screened to ensure a new "designer" baby would be a genetic match to help Nathan. Stem cells from the baby's umbilical cord could then be used in Nathan's treatment.

Miss Kelly, aged 32, said: "Every time Nathan has a blood transfusion I start thinking about what could happen if he became seriously ill.

"But I try not to think about it and will never give up hope on the test results eventually coming through for us."

Meanwhile members of DNAMCC (Bolton's only family friendly motorcycle club) raised £500 in a weekend fundraising event. That took the total raised by the bikers for Nathan to £1,550. Fanconi anaemia affects white blood cells and the production of bone marrow and people suffering from the illness have a life expectancy of about 12.

Denise is still fundraising and the appeal fund currently stands at £72,500.

Welfare staff at Turton High School have been busy collecting pennies and raffled a bike which boosted the appeal by £384.