THE family of a Belbroughton schoolboy who desperately needs a stem cell transplant to save his life say they have been "overwhelmed" by support from the community.

Finley Hill, who attends Hagley Primary School, is battling a rare immune system disorder known as familial HLH (familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis), which results in damaged and enlarged organs, and his only chance of survival is to undergo a stem cell transplant.

In a bid to try and find a suitable donor - his parents Paul and Jo have organised a stem cell donor drive with charity DKMS which will take place at Hagley Primary School in Park Road, Hagley, this weekend.

The couple, who run Brookfield Nurseries in Quantry Lane at Bell Heath, are hoping the community will turn out in force to see if they might be able to help their little boy, aged seven, who has been battling the condition for two years.

The event will run from 9am to 4pm on Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12 and will include a raffle, tombola and silent auction to help raise money for the charity DKMS as it costs £40 every time someone is swabbed to register as a potential donor.

Finley's mum Jo said: "All funds raised raised will go to DKMS."

She added: "We've been overwhelmed by the support from people giving prizes for the raffle and tombola and the amount of people that have shared with us that they've signed up to be a donor."

Anyone aged 17 to 55 can register to be a stem cell donor.

People can turn up to the event this weekend or go online to find out more https://www.dkms.org.uk/en/register-now.

Only two per cent of people in the UK are on the stem cell donor list and Jo said: "We need to make people aware how easy it is to get tested, and how simple and painless it can be to become a lifesaving donor. In 90 per cent of cases it's like giving blood."

The family can be contacted via the Facebook page Finn the Fabulous.