YOU can now support Adrian Sudbury’s campaign for better education about bone marrow donation by signing an online petition on the Downing Street website.

Examiner journalist Adrian, 26, has made it his dying wish to make sure sixth-form students are better educated about why bone marrow donation is important and how they can sign up.

We have lodged a petition on the Downing Street website, asking the Government to require colleges and school sixth forms to educate students about bone marrow donation.

The petition will stay online for two months, when it will close and – if there are over 200 signatures – it will be lodged with the Prime Minister’s Office.

You can add your name in support of the petition by putting this link into your web browser, http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/bone-marrow

Adrian – who has battled leukaemia for the past 18 months – underwent a bone marrow transplant as part of his fight against the disease.

Sadly, it failed and he has been given just weeks to live. He says it is his ‘last mission’ to highlight the desperate need for more people to sign up as bone marrow donors.

Adrian – who had a blood transfusion yesterday – took his campaign to Parliament this week and has secured the backing of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Yesterday he received a hand-written letter from the PM.

It said: “Dear Adrian,

It was great to meet. You show inspirational courage to us all. Please send me any letters you want passed on and I will help you with your campaign. We are all thinking of you.

Gordon.”

During their meeting at the House of Commons on Wednesday the PM suggested making an educational video about bone marrow donation – featuring celebrities – to be shown in colleges and sixth forms.

He also suggested carrying out a national TV public information campaign.

Mr Johnson has staff looking into whether this could be covered by the health budget. Mr Balls is investigating whether tutorials about bone marrow donation could be worked into citizenship lessons, as part of the national curriculum.

After his visit to London Adrian is back at home in Sheffield.

Following a check-up on Thursday he was found to be anaemic and had the blood transfusion yesterday to solve the problem and boost his health.

Adrian intends to reply to the influx of comments on his internet blog in the coming days and update his regular readers on what he has been up to. For more, visit http://baldyblog.freshblogs.co.uk

lFor more information on how to become a bone marrow donor, visit www.anthonynolan.org.uk