THE parents of a Bolton girl fighting leukaemia have been dealt a devastating blow -- their two-year-old daughter is unable to save her sister's life.

Hospital results have revealed that tiny Rachel Morris does not have the right type of bone marrow to save her big sister, Elizabeth.

Now the family face an agonising wait to see whether a donor can be found from a national register of bone marrow volunteers.

Four-year-old Elizabeth has been fighting leukaemia since she was 18 months old.

But after two years in remission, the blood cancer came back and Elizabeth's only hope for the future is a transplant.

Rachel had just a one in four chance of her marrow fitting Elizabeth's personal chemistry and, if she had been a match, would have become one of Britain's youngest donors.

Their mum, Janet, of Hollow Meadow, Ringley, said: "We were disappointed. It would have meant that the chances of the transplant working would have been higher.

"Now we have to search the bone marrow register to find a match."

The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, founded in 1974 by a mother of a leukaemia victim, has a register of 306,000 people who have donated a blood sample.

But the Trust urgently needs more donations.

Janet said: "People come up to me after seeing the story in the paper and ask what they can do to help. Everyone feels so helpless.

"I just say give blood. These children with cancer need transfusions regularly. Without them they would not survive. It's as simple as that.

"But I also want to help other people in the same situation as ourselves by asking people to donate to the Trust.

"People don't have to die to save a child with leukaemia."

The family should find out within the next couple of weeks whether an existing donor on the register is a match.

"It is very sad," Janet said. "Elizabeth has spent half of her life in hospital and there are other children who are also going through the same thing.

"If anything, I want to raise awareness of the Trust. Before Elizabeth, I had no idea what it did."

The family are now planning to hold a mass blood donor session in Bolton so that local people can help out.

A fund-raising scheme is also underway to bring in vital cash for the charity, which has to spend £50 to tissue type a donor.

The Trust manages the world's largest independent register of volunteer bone marrow donors and is keen to hear from anyone aged between 18 and 40, weighing over eight stone and in good health. Males and ethnic people are desperately needed.

Those who can help should contact area manager of the Trust, Linda Crawford, on 01253 860333.