Donor search event for Liskeard teenager attracts 300

The swabbing event for Charlie Dugdale took place on Saturday

A mother said she was "incredibly shocked" after more than 300 people turned up to get mouth swabs to help her son find a suitable donor.

Danielle Dugdale said "people just wanted to help" her son Charlie, 17, from Liskeard in Cornwall.

He has aplastic anaemia, a condition where the bone marrow and stem cells do not produce enough blood cells.

The volunteers braved bad weather to have a swab taken at a pop-up testing facility in the town on Saturday.

Ms Dugdale said: "We were incredibly shocked. We did not expect a response like that, especially when we saw the weather.

"People wanted to come along and do the mouth swab because it is such an easy thing to do.

Danielle Dugdale was overwhelmed by the response

"I thought it would be our friends, or friends of friends, but actually I didn't know 85% of the people who came, had never spoken to them or had a conversation with them.

"They had just heard about what we were doing and wanted to come along."

Charlie is still going through testing to discover the exact type of bone marrow he needs.

If a compatible match is found they will be contacted and asked if they want to proceed with the transplant.

Ms Dugdale said her son also made an appearance at the event.

"He said to me, 'Mum I really, really enjoyed yesterday. It was really nice to see all those people out and know they were all there because they want to help me'."

There are plans to have another swabbing event in Saltash, she added.

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