All those who registered should be so proud

And dozens of you answered the plea by the parents of three-year-old George O’Shaughnessy, who is fighting leukaemia for a second time and urgently needs a bone marrow transplant.

Yesterday at The News’ offices in Lakeside, North Harbour, staff from the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan held on-the-spot registration where potential donors could sign up to the register simply by providing a saliva sample.

It would have been easy for busy office workers, rushing around with only a few minutes to spare for lunch, to simply walk by.

But they didn’t.

They stopped and asked questions and the amazing staff were able to tell them all about the urgency in finding a bone marrow donor for George, and others in desperate need.

Dozens of people stopped and generously reregistered, while many more had their eyes opened to how the charity saves lives.

It is much too early to tell if a donor for little George has been found.

But just by holding events like yesterday’s public registration means he and his family are one step closer to ending the nightmare they have been going through for almost all of George’s tender years.

It’s a cliché, but it really is every parent’s worst nightmare to watch their child’s health fading before their eyes.

That is why everyone who signed up yesterday should be so proud.

Just that one small step could make an enormous difference, not just to George’s life, but perhaps to the life of one of the 2,000 people waiting for a bone marrow transplant.

It took seconds for those at Lakeside to register.

But those few seconds could save lives.