Desperate hunt for donor before time runs out
Snuggling up on her grandad's lap, little Jessica Fenn glows with happiness.
For the three-year-old is blissfully unaware he is battling incurable cancer multiple myeloma.
Former naval diver Dave Spears has fought the disease for two years.
He is wheelchair-bound after shrinking four inches when his spine started to collapse.
But he desperately wants more time to spend with his family, and a bone marrow transplant is now his only hope.
The 52-year-old – known as Spike – underwent a procedure to harvest stem cells from his body and replant them last March.
But the transplant will only last an estimated 18 months, so Mr Spears and his family are desperate to find a donor before time runs out.
None of his family is a match so they are pinning their hopes on a complete stranger to be his lifeline.
And his daughter Hazel, has organised a special session for potential donors to sign up in the hope of finding a match.
Today she begs News readers to take part in the hope Mr Spears will be able to watch his four grandchildren grow up.
They are also appealing for potential donors for 7,000 other people in the UK who need a transplant.
The 30-year-old is not a match for her dad but is happy to give her bone marrow to another patient.
Mrs Fenn said: 'If I can't do something on my doorstep, I hope I can help somebody else.
'A bone marrow transplant will never save dad's life, but it will prolong it and make him more comfortable.
'I had just found out I was pregnant when he was diagnosed. I feel a bit selfish at times because I want him around as long as possible for the children.
'He's a really doting grandad. Jessica loves him. She thinks people are coming to the session to help make grandad's back better.'
Mr Spears, of Neville Avenue, Portchester, said: 'My family are the love of my life. They are a reason to be here. I want to watch my grandchildren grow up. Jess doesn't comprehend what it is but she knows there's something wrong.
'It's not just about me, it's about everyone else who needs a bone marrow transplant. It's a simple check and it can save lives. It just takes a little bit of time.'
Mr Spears has already undergone chemotherapy and had stem cells harvested from his body and replanted. But harvested stem cells will not last forever and Mr Spears knows the cancer could return at any time.
In an extraordinary act of selflessness David Spears' daughter and her husband are to sell their home to help care for him.
Both Hazel and Alan Fenn and David and wife Lesley last month put their houses on the market and plan to buy a new home together which they will share with grandchildren Jessica, three, and Madison, nine months.
The idea was the brainchild of son-in-law Alan, 32, who mentioned the move after Mr Spears' health started to deteriorate.
The 52-year-old now struggles to get up and down the stairs and the house is unsuitable for a stairlift.
Mr Spears is also keen to ensure his wife is not left alone when he is gone.
Plans went into overdrive after the 52-year-old was hospitalised with a blood clot in his leg in January.
Hazel, 30, said: 'We know it's not the best time to try and sell a house but we're just hoping someone will come along and snap them up. Waiting is not an option for us.
'I can't make him better but I can make life better for him. You only get one mum and dad. It makes you realise how short life is.
'People get taken away at the click of a finger all the time. We're lucky.
'The way I see it is we have got the opportunity to make the most of him before he's gone.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 15 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
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Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
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