FIVE viable bone marrow donors have been found for five-year-old George Philippides from Kili in Paphos who has been diagnosed with leukaemia and needed urgent treatment.
The good news was given to the Phillipides family on Monday according to the boy’s uncle, Marios Philippides.
He revealed yesterday that during the last few days suitable donors had been found in five countries including Germany, Israel and the USA, although only two of those donors were currently available. According to Philippides, if the donor is from a country in the same region then arrangements are made to bring that person to Cyprus in order to carry out specialised examinations to see if they are a match with the little boy.
According to the head of Paediatrics at the Makarios Hostpital, Loizos Loizou, both available donors are around 90 per cent compatible with the young boy.
The final decision on any donor is made by the doctors, the uncle told reporters, adding that the family was awaiting news from them to see when to take the 5-year-old to a medical centre in Germany in two weeks to perform the operation.
Philippides thanked the public for their support and expressed the hope that others afflicted with leukaemia would also receive help in the future.
Little George is currently being cared for in the paediatric wing of the Makarios Hospital in Nicosia where he will remain until he leaves for Germany. He has two older brothers aged 18 and 21.
A campaign began in April to find a suitable donor four him. Last month national guardsman, Andreas Vassiliou, who had received a successful bone marrow transplant in 2000, made a public plea along with Defence Minister, Fotis Fotiou for a donor to be found for the five-year-old.