'Pants on your head' bone marrow appeal girl Hollie Clark dies

Hollie Clark found a bone marrow donor and had the transplant

A Cardiff girl who sparked an appeal by Welsh celebrities to help find her a bone marrow donor has died.

Hollie Clark inspired stars including Real Madrid footballer Gareth Bale to join a "pants on your head" social media campaign to raise awareness of bone marrow donation.

The eight-year-old had a rare bone marrow syndrome and a match was found for her in July.

But she died on Thursday, her family said on Twitter.

Hollie's family confirmed on Twitter she had passed away

Hollie's mother, Laura Clark, who is a GP, started the social media campaign in June when she asked former athlete Jamie Baulch for help after seeing him in the gym.

Other well know faces soon followed suit, with sporting stars Sam Warburton and Jonathan Davies also tweeting photos of themselves.

Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale was one high-profile supporter of the campaign

Ex-Wales international Martyn Williams and Hinterland actress Mali Harries also took part in the hope of finding Hollie a suitable donor.

At the time, Mrs Clark said it was only the public who could help Hollie, who had Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) - a malfunction of the bone marrow - and urged people to register with the Anthony Nolan Trust as potential donors.

As the campaign gained momentum, she said: "We really need to get the message across that we want people not just aged 18 to 30, but people up to the age of 46 in Wales, and 49 in England."

The family released a statement on Facebook thanking the public for their support with the campaign.