THE family of an eight-year-old Rosyth boy battling a life-threatening condition have launched an urgent plea to help find him a donor.

Kings Road Primary School pupil Michael Gartshore's life has turned upside down in just a few weeks since he was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia and is now in desperate need of a stem cell transplant.

The blood disease is a rare illness where all three blood cell types; red blood, white blood, and platelets, are deficient. This can cause uncontrollable bleeding and increased risk of picking up infections which can be severe.

Now mum Tracey hopes as many West Fifers as possible will sign themselves up as a donor to see if they could be a match for her young son.

"It only takes 30 seconds to register and it only takes one person to be a match!" she said.

"I also really hope that people can feel that they can go and give a blood donation because Michael now has a minimum of two transfusions a week. Just think of all the other bairns that need it too!

"Unfortunately, it was something that I never thought about before because life just gets in the way but that's changed now."

Tracey and husband Michael senior are currently waiting to see if their three-year-old daughter, Charlotte, is a potential match for Michael.

But as they wait for news they have set up a Facebook page, 'Wee Michael's Journey', appealing for more donors.

Tracey explained: "Really, it's all just in the last six weeks this has happened.

"I genuinely thought at first that Michael was getting bullied but it was much worse.

"It's hard to describe but he had these bizarre red marks on his body and I knew something wasn't quite right.

"By the next day, there was also a rash, so I took him up to the GP and they sent us to Kirkcaldy – we were there for hours."

Days of medical tests and a bone marrow biopsy revealed the diagnosis that has shocked the family.

As a bone marrow donor is matched on the tissue type of an individual it is highly unlikely that parents can donate as genetically only half of their tissue genes are passed on to the child.

"There is absolutely nothing we can do except hold his hand," Tracey said.

"He doesn't understand what's going on because we've never experienced anything like this in the family.

"It's just so hard because he's so young.

"The weekend before this all started he was playing in the park and running around – it just came out of nowhere.

"Even if Charlotte is a match, it will take some time to see if they can go ahead and if she isn't then we have to rely on a stranger."

Michael's diagnosis has been a shock to the Kings Road primary community but many messages of support have poured in to the family.

Tracey added: "I think everyone has been surprised because he is not a sickly kid. Many people who have the condition tend to catch things quite easily but Michael's never had time off school.

"The best thing that has come from this is the amount of people that have already registered – it's very touching."

The Gartshores have also been receiving support from four-year-old Lochgelly hero Ava Stark, who underwent a stem cell transplant in 2016.

Her appeals saw hundreds of people sign themselves up as a donor.

To register as a potential stem cell donor, visit www.dkms.org.uk/en and the charity will send out a check swab sample kit for you to complete.

Blood bank donations are happening at the Glen Pavilion, Dunfermline on June 5, July 3, August 7 and September 4. Call 0345 9090 99 for more information.