The parents of a four-year-old boy have been left shocked at news their son would only have months to live without receiving a stem cell transplant.

Nirav and Kirpa Gudhka, from Harrow, found out their son, Veer, had a rare blood disease in August 2019.

Veer is one of few hundred people in the UK who have the life changing illness, Fanconi Anaemia.

Doctors initially told the family it would be at least three years before Veer needed a transplant. However, recent tests have revealed his condition is getting worse faster than expected.

Nirav and Kirpa, along with Veer's sister Sahani, five, are urgently calling for stem cell donors from a South Asian background to come forward.

The entire family were tested but unfortunately none of them were a suitable match for Veer. The family has also been working with blood cancer charity, Anthony Nolan, to boost their search and give Veer the best possible chance of finding a suitable donor.

Nirav said: " We have known that he will ultimately need a transplant since he was diagnosed in August 2019, but the predictions were that he would probably hold out for a few years.

"We had hoped that would be the case, if not that, he would rebound and prove as some anomaly to the stats.

We feel so unprepared and are very worried for what lies ahead.

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Currently only 69 per cent of patients can find the best possible stem cell match from a stranger and this drops significantly to 20 per cent if you're a patient from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background.

This makes it harder for Veer to find a donor who is a good match.

Since first launching the campaign to help Veer find a donor, hundreds have been inspired to join the stem cell register and in May 2020 the family hosted a virtual fundraiser for Anthony Nolan which saw total donations of just under 10,000.

Doctors are hoping to buy Veer some extra time before needing the transplant by putting him on a steroid treatment to boost his blood count but there are concerns this may not take effect.

"Hes been a real soldier through his numerous blood tests and other procedures. He definitely lives up to the meaning of his name (Veer means brave)" said Nirav.

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He added: " As much as we dont want it to take over our lives, it has. We know that finding a donor is like finding a needle in a haystack, so we are campaigning hard."

Rebecca Sedgwick, National Recruitment Manager at Anthony Nolan, said: The tale of brave Veer has touched hearts around the country, inspiring almost 700 selfless individuals to sign up as stem cell donors. Time is now critical for Veer and his family, so were hoping that anyone thinking of joining acts right away.

To find out more about how you can help Veer by becoming a donor, click here.

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'We are worried for what lies ahead' say Harrow parents in donor plea for son, 4 - My London