THE Solomon family from Sale Moor, who launched a bone marrow donor appeal for their son Martin, are ‘over the moon’ at its success.

Three people in recent months – including two from Trafford - have donated their stem cells, as a result of their Match4Martin appeal.

The family is now aware of at least 11 donors who have gone on to donate thanks to the campaign.

A spokeswoman for the Anthony Nolan bone marrow register said this is an amazing feat, as on average only one in 1,200 people who join the register will come up as a match and go on to donate their stem cells.

Martin Solomon was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for a second time in 2012 and was told he desperately needed a lifesaving bone marrow transplant, but a perfect match could not be found for him on the Anthony Nolan register.

Thankfully Martin, now 22, went on a drug trial of the Brentuximab Vedotin drug and he is now in remission from the cancer. He has also recently graduated from Newcastle University after studying biochemistry and is hoping to become a doctor in the future.

But the Somolon family pressed on with their donor campaign. Trafford residents Alan Dolan and Andy Chrimes both signed up after hearing about Martin’s struggle to find a match, and both young men recently went on to donate.

Andy, 24, from Altrincham, said: “When it came to donating my stem cells, I wasn’t nervous at all, I was just keen to get on with it.

“Thanks to Match4Martin I know how much it means. It’s just like giving blood for an extra amount of time. It’s not painful at all.”

Alan, 25, from Sale, said: “It felt great to be able to donate.

“Not many people can say that they’ve saved someone’s life but thanks to the Solomons, I’m one of the lucky few who can.”

Martin’s mum, Paula, said: “Hearing these donor stories makes me very emotional. I could never have imagined how many people we could help and so quickly.”

Ann O’Leary, head of register development at Anthony Nolan, said: “What the Solomons have achieved through the Match4Martin appeal is truly amazing.”

The Solomon family are now supporting Anthony Nolan and African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust’s ‘Being African-Caribbean’ campaign to recruit more African-Caribbean donors to the register.

For more information, go to www.anthonynolan.org/african-caribbean