DOCTORS are searching nationwide for a suitable bone marrow donor for a five-month-old girl who is battling a life-threatening blood disorder.

Ivy Mai Geary was born with severe congenital neutropenia, a rare condition which prevents her from effectively fighting off infections.

Her mother, Dominque Kent, from Canvey, says doctors at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital have told her the next stage of Ivy Mai’s treatment is to carry out the transplant.

Miss Kent added that she was tested along with her partner and Ivy Mai’s father, Anthony Geary, in a bid to find a donor, however neither proved to be a suitable match.

She said: “We weren’t the match they were looking for, so they’re searching the British Bone Marrow Registry for donors across the country.

“They’re hoping to find somebody by the new year. Failing that they’ll be going to Canada and America. Ivy Mai is relatively fine in herself, but she is still very poorly.

“She’ll need chemotherapy to aid the transplant and she’s still at great risk of picking up infections.

Doctors have targeted the new year as it gives her the best chance to build up her strength to take the transplant and chemo.

“It’s obviously very worrying as we just want her immune system to get stronger as quickly as possible.” Miss Kent said the cost of driving up to Great Ormond Street with partner Anthony was also taking its toll – all the more so because it meant Mr Geary had had to take extended leave from his window fitting job. Ivy Mai’s grandmother, Valleri Ruthven, has set up a page on the online donations website JustGiving to help bring in money to help cover the family’s travel costs and other expenses.

To make a donation and for more information, visit crowdfunding.justgiving.com/valleriruthven For more details about the bone marrow register, go to nhsbt.nhs.uk/bonemarrow