THE mother of a five-year-old boy who was diagnosed with leaukaemia is desperately urging all adults and children to register for stem cell donation and help save a life.

Sasha Bulacu, of Mollison Way, Edgware, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the age of three.

He went into remission following treatment but, now five-years-old, he relapsed in June this year.

His mother Elena, 39, said: “It was horrible hearing his diagnosis, it felt like the end of the world for us.

“It was such a shock at the beginning but after the doctor explained to use what treatment it was good.

“He coped so well with all the treatment and the chemotherapy, just playing on his iPad and dancing.”

Despite his illness, his mother says Sasha likes to do all the things that little boys do and is a huge fan of Minecraft.

She added: “He is a very happy and smiling boy. He loves to live and he enjoys every single moment of his life.

“He is very brave and the illness made him very strong. He understands and doesn't complain about the treatment and the time spent in the hospital.

“He just wants to be healthy as other children are, to play and dance, to walk in the park and to go back to school.”

Mr and Mrs Bulacu have now been told that he needs a blood stem cell donation to get better.

As only 60 per cent of those in need of a blood stem cell donation find a donor with a perfectly matching tissue-type, Sasha’s parents are appealing for more people to register.

Mrs Bulacu said: “Until he was diagnosed, even I didn’t know what stem cell donation was – I didn’t know anything about it.

“It’s just a few drops of blood and a few minutes, and you can save a life. An adult’s life, a child’s life, my son’s life, it’s so important that people do it to help.

“All you have to do is sign up online, and they send you swabs in the post.

“You do it all yourself and send it back, all for free, and then maybe that will be able to give someone the treatment they need.”

Organised by Delete Blood Cancer UK on behalf of Sasha’s family, several hundred people swabbed the inside of their cheeks at a donor drive this weekend to register as potential blood stem cell donors.

A large number of those who registered at the event at Fitness4All in Hendon had a Romanian or East European background.

The charity said this was particularly important as those who share his heritage are most likely to provide the most suitable match for him.

Aga Chrosciel, the charity’s donor recruitment manager, said: “We are really pleased with the support for Sasha’s event.

“It was a great turnout and it was wonderful to see so many swab and join the blood stem cell registry. They could all potentially save lives.”

Anyone wishing to sign up can register through the Delete Blood Cancer UK website at: www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk