Corsham teenager Josh Whiting is hoping to be able to spend Christmas at home after a successful bone marrow transplant operation last month.

He and his family have been waiting since April for the right match, and launched an appeal through the Gazette in July for donors.

Despite the success of the appeal in getting people to come forward, no-one matched, and it wasn’t until November that suitable bone marrow was identified, in Germany.

His mum Heather, of Beechfield Road, said: “He’s doing really well now, and he is looking forward to his future.

“We had so many people turning up to donate for Josh after the appeal, it was a terrific response and we want to say a big thank you to everyone.

“We’re staying in Bristol at the moment since he was discharged. He has to stay near the hospital until the new year while his blood levels recover.

“Hopefully we will be able to get him home for Christmas just for one day – that would be the best present for him.”

Mr Whiting, 19, was fit and healthy when he left Corsham School last year, but in January, just months into his music course at the New Generation music and dance college in Thornbury, he developed aplastic anaemia.

He has been in and out of hospital ever since. The condition means that his bone marrow cannot produce sufficient new blood cells and without early diagnosis it can lead to rapid death.

His transplant operation took place at Bristol Children’s Hospital on November 25 after 10 days of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Mrs Whiting said: “It is a miracle really. The consultant said it is a harder process than normal organ transplants due to all the treatment you have first.

“As long as it all goes well, in two years he should have perfectly normal bone marrow, but you have to start from scratch.

“Hopefully he will be able to get home in the new year, and then it will be three to six months recovery before he is able to get out and mix with people.

“He is very much looking forward to getting back to his course and seeing his friends.”