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From: Hull Dail Mail - 5 May 2003
Date: 07/05/03
Time: 13:48:38
Remote Name: 195.173.8.59
'I'VE NEVER WANTED ANYTHING MORE IN MY LIFE THAN I WANTED THE TRANSPLANT TO WORK FOR HER'
09:30 - 05 May 2003
The American bone marrow donor who saved the life of a Hessle schoolgirl today spoke for the first time of her feelings for the child she has never met. Lori White, from Texas, says she is thrilled at the prospect of meeting Molly-Ann Barnett, the nine-year-old whose health she restored against the odds in 2000.
She said: "I've never wanted anything more in my life than I wanted the transplant to work for her.
"It would be wonderful to meet Molly and her family.
"I'm sure that it would be a very joyous and emotional day for all of us.
"When her family sent me her picture and said they'd be happy to meet me, I was really happy, because sometimes people don't want to meet.
"But I was thrilled because I would love to meet them."
No date has been set and the two parties have yet to speak in person.
But they have declared their intention to be united and have begun a relationship through letter and e-mail.
Mrs White said: "I would get home from work and the first thing I did was run in to see if they'd written.
We drop each other a line at least once a week now."
Mrs White and the Barnetts not only agreed to waive their anonymity, but actively sought to find each other.
They had to be patient, though.
Privacy laws prevent donors and recipients being identified for two years in the UK and one year in America.
Even then it is only done with mutual consent.
Mrs White and Molly-Ann's parents, Mandy and Paul, began writing to each other through third parties in England and America at about the same time.
They had to cope with the frustration of Mrs White's first correspondence being delayed in the postal system for 18 months.
But when a letter with an accompanying photograph of Molly-Ann winged its way through her letter box in Texas, Mrs White was nearly overcome with emotion. It was the first time she had seen the face of the girl whose life she had saved.
She said: "It's a feeling I can't really describe. I was thrilled for the family more than anything.
"When I got her picture I was choked.
"She's so beautiful. I was so happy for her."
Previously, Mrs White only knew her bone marrow had been matched with a six-year-old girl from another country.
She said: "I wondered what she looked like and thought about what this little girl was going through."
Mrs White is an account manager for a pharmaceutical wholesaler in Texas.
She lives with John, her husband of 16 years, in Arlington, a city between Dallas and Fort Worth.
Molly-Ann was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in September 1999. Her recovery depended on a bone marrow transplant.
But her rare tissue type put her chances of finding a match at 90,000 to one. Mrs White was that all important one.
The Mail launched its Gift of Life campaign in a bid to help, and 2,000 readers came forward and registered Turn to Page 2
as donors.
Molly-Ann's parents continue to campaign for people to give blood and register as potential donors through the National Blood Service.
Their work has had a major impact. Between 2001 and 2002 there were 15,000 registered donors in the UK.
Between April 2002 and April 2003, 40,000 people registered.
For more details on how to register, call the National Blood Service helpline on (08457) 711711.
sbristow@hulldailymail.co.uk