A MUM from Wrexham is aiming to lose weight in support of the charity that helped to save her young son’s life.

Nikki Ward, from Llay, runs three slimming classes in various parts of Wrexham and between now and Easter she personally aims to shed 3stone in a sponsored slim in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust, which focuses on leukaemia and bone marrow transplantation.

She also hopes at least 50 of her class members will join her in the big weight loss crusade.

Nikki has decided to launch the challenge to say thank you to the charity for the way it helped her five-year-son son Joshua, who received life-saving bone marrow transplant when he was just five months old.

He first became ill when he was eight weeks old and was sent to Manchester Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with HLH – Haemophagacytic Lympho Hystiocytosis.

The rare condition, which creates an overactive immune system, affects just one in a million people.

It meant Joshua’s white blood cells were unable to fight off infection and eventually attacked the healthy organs in his body.

When the Anthony Nolan Trust could find no suitable bone marrow donor in the UK it widened the search worldwide and a woman in Germany was eventually identified as the perfect match.

The transplant had complications and Joshua was in intensive care for more than four weeks battling for life against a series of infections and multiple organ failure.

But he eventually won his fight for life and is now a normal, healthy youngster.

Nikki said: “I’ve always wanted to do something to say thank you for the wonderful work that the Anthony Nolan Trust does.

“What better gift can you give than the gift of life?

“I cannot imagine what would have happened if Josh hadn’t been saved.

“What really hit me was when they searched the UK bone marrow register and couldn’t find a match – something that had never really crossed my mind.”

She added: “I have challenged myself to lose three stones by Easter and, with all the new members we usually get in January, I am hoping at least 50 other people will join me on the challenge.

“I know we can make a difference to the charity and say thank you to them for helping for my boy in a million.”