THE Morris family are in the middle of a terrible trauma that we all believe will never happen to us.

Four-year-old Elizabeth is fighting leukaemia and her only hope is a successful bone marrow transplant.

Her parents have tried everything -- even putting forward her little sister, Rachel, just two, as a possible donor. But at each turn they have been dealt a devastating blow with a suitable match not being found.

Now, their daughter's fate has been taken out of their hands. They have become reliant on a matching donor being found elsewhere.

The family, like many others in similar situations, have to turn to the bone marrow register to find a match.The register is run by the Anthonly Nolan Bone Marrow Trust and comprises 306,000 people who have donated blood samples. It is a lifeline for youngsters like Elizabeth.

Donating bone marrow does not pose a threat to the donor's life, yet it can make the world of difference. But first people need to donate blood samples. The whole process does not inconvenience the donor to any great degree, yet how many of us step forward?

As Elizabeth's mother says, before her daughter's illness, she too had no idea of the work the Trust did.

The family now plan to hold a mass blood donor session in Bolton, so that as many people as possible can help out. We must support them, for not only Elizabeth, but the thousands of others in her sad situation.