Daniel Leggett was so proud of the shining bicycle he had been given for his birthday.

At six-and-a-quarter years old he had just been able to cast his stabilisers aside and take to his wheels like an adult for the first time.

Then his consultant told him he could not ride his beloved bike any more. That would have been devastating enough in itself.

But many other activities that most other children would take for granted also became impossible for the highly intelligent little boy from Southmoor.

Now he cannot play football, cannot even catch a ball - and the rough and tumble of childhood games must be avoided at all costs.

Despite this, his mum Melanie said: "His optimism is wonderful. He's got his life ahead of him and he's got every determination to go out there and live it.

"A bone marrow transplant would help Daniel to fulfill his potential, which he has got in bounteous amounts. He's got big hopes for himself."

Every time he gains an inch in height, Melanie can't help thinking of it as an inch further to the ground if he were to trip or fall.

Even the West End musicals that the stagestruck youngster loves so much have become out of bounds because sitting in a crowded theatre could expose him to all kinds of infections.

Until last summer, Daniel was a perfectly normal boy - apart from being unusually bright for his age. The reason his life has changed so drastically is a rare blood disorder. Melanie and husband, Nick, first suspected something was wrong when strange bruises started appearing on his legs and did not appear to be getting any better.

Soon after a rare condition called aplastic anaemia, which affects one in every two million children, was diagnosed by doctors at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

The effects of the illness are devastating as sufferers lack the vital bone marrow to enable the body to manufacture its own blood.

Currently doctors are managing to keep Daniel going with weekly transfusions from other people - but this is only temporary.

His blood has difficulty clotting and lacks the vital cells with which to fight infection. Consequently even a slight knock or cut or - what for any other youngster would be the mildest childhood infection - could prove extremely serious.

Some children do respond to treatment designed to trigger their bone marrow into working once again but sadly Daniel was not among the lucky ones.

Now the only proven cure - and Daniel's hope of resuming a normal childhood - lies in a finding a bone marrow donor whose tissue type matches his own unusual combination.

Daniel's dad Nick said: "A bone marrow transplant would mean a great deal to him. He's very lively but he's just not able to take the risks that other children can. He would love to go bombing around with his chums.

"When you take him anywhere you're running the risk of infection. He does know the importance of it all and he knows a bone marrow transplant would offer him the best future possible. He wants to feel part of the world and not different from the rest." Experts from the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust are in the process of sifting through each and every one of the three million donors registered worldwide to find a match for the Southmoor youngster.

The task is likely to be prove a complex one as Daniel's great-great-grandmother was from India, making his tissue type particularly unusual. But no stone will remain unturned in the search for that all important person.

While experts carry out this painstaking task Daniel's phoilosophy is simple. He has a life to lead and he is determined to get out there and make the most out of it.

Daniel is clearly not letting the seriousness of his condition dampen his great ambitions - His big plan is to write and star in his own musical.

With the help of one very special person there is no reason why Daniel's dream should not come true.

YOU could help Daniel and others by registering as a bone marrow donor. Donors need to be aged between 18 and 40, in good health and weigh at least eight stone. For more information contact the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust on 01865 875757/8.

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