A simple process to sign up as a donor.

THOUSANDS of patients are waiting for a bone marrow transplants.

Twins Luis and Kian are among those waiting because their condition - Krabbe disease - has made them ill and means they need new stem cells.

A transplant could delay or stop their illness progressing. But for the transplant to succeed the tissue type of the donor and patient must match extremely closely. Neither of the boys' parents or sisters are a match and no suitable donors have been found so far on the global donor register. The register currently has around 25 million people on it.

That's why the family are appealing for more people to sign the donor register to boost the boys' chances of finding a suitable match, and others like them.

There are a number of donor registers which Brits can join. The two major ones are the Anthony Nolan register and the British Bone Marrow Registry. Registering is a simple process. You supply a blood sample so your tissue type can be identified. If your tissue type matches a patient who needs bone marrow you could be selected to donate. You would have a full medical examination and given advice about the procedure. Remember, signing up to the register could help save a life.