A HEART wrenching tale of a young cancer sufferer has inspired people in Suffolk to make a difference.The Evening Star newsdesk was inundated with calls from people wanting to help Chelsie Beard, the five-year-old girl who desperately needs a bone marrow transplant after telling her story on Monday.

A HEART wrenching tale of a young cancer sufferer has inspired people in Suffolk to make a difference.

The Evening Star newsdesk was inundated with calls from people wanting to help Chelsie Beard, the five-year-old girl who desperately needs a bone marrow transplant after telling her story on Monday.

Five-year-old Chelsie was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in May last year and is currently in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge undergoing intensive chemotherapy - but the only cure for her in now a bone marrow transplant.

And that is where the help of Star readers comes in.

Today all those who want to help are being urged to sign up to a bone marrow registry. They may not be able to help Chelsie right now, but the more people on the register the greater the chance that she, and other brave cancer suffers, can be helped.

Gareth Bell, communications officer for the National Blood Service in East Anglia, said it was important that people considered joining the British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR).

He said: “There are currently nearly 280,000 donors registered with the BBMR, but as 70 per cent of patients rely on a matched volunteer donor we need to recruit more people.

He added: “If you are interested in joining the BBMR then simply visit your local blood donor session and inform a member of staff of your intentions when you arrive.

“At the time of your blood donation we will take an extra blood sample so that we can identify your tissue type for the register.”

To join the BBMR people must be between 18 and 44-years-old.

For more information on the BBMR call the National Blood Service on 0845 7 711 711.