A BRAVE 11-year-old boy has met the police officer who gave him the gift of life.

Jamie Waldie -who suffered from a rare blood disorder that can lead to leukaemia - would not be alive today if he had not received a bone marrow transplant from Gary Fletcher.

Although Jamie and his father, Tom, met Mr Fletcher for the first time to thank him personally, sadly one of the most important people in his life was not at his side.

In a cruel twist of fate, his mother, Vicki, was diagnosed with leukaemia as he was recovering from the operation.

Despite a bone marrow transplant from her sister, she died on Boxing Day aged 43.

So when Jamie and his father, of Norton, near Stockton, met Mr Fletcher on Sunday, it had extra special meaning.

Mr Waldie said: "How do you find the words to thank the man who saved your son's life?

"When we saw him, we did not have to say anything. We gave him a big hug and he knew what we were thinking.

"I cannot express how grateful we are. Gary has always been our hero."

Jamie, a pupil at Red House School, in Norton, said: "I was very nervous because it is amazing to meet the man who saved my life. I think Gary is excellent."

Mr Waldie paid tribute to his "down-to-earth and artistic" wife and said: "It would have been a very special day for Vicki. She was the one who nursed him through it all, especially when he needed a donor.

"It is a shame that she could not have been there to meet Gary. He was her hero as well."

Jamie was diagnosed with the blood disorder myelodysplasia in 1998 when his family was living in Darlington.

With the support of his parents, he endured months of chemotherapy before the long search for a suitable donor began.

He finally underwent the bone marrow transplant at Newcastle General Hospital.

Five years later, and Jamie has made a full recovery and can now enjoy playing rugby and hockey with his friends.

The meeting marked the 30th anniversary of the Anthony Nolan Trust - set up by Shirley Nolan, who hoped to save the life of her son, Anthony.

Since then, thousands of patients all over the world have been given the chance of life through a transplant.

Yesterday, after attending a lunch to mark the trust's birthday, Mr Waldie and Mr Fletcher, a police officer from Dunbar, in Scotland, urged more people to sign up as donors.

Mr Waldie said: "We need more donors, especially young men. Please sign up."

Mr Fletcher, a 34-year-old father-of-two, said: "There are no words which can describe this. I can only suggest to other people that they should do it to get a sense of the feeling.

"The operation was very easy, there was a little discomfort, but that was it."

For information on becoming a donor, call the Anthony Nolan Trust's 24-hour helpline on (0901) 882 2234 to find out what is involved and how to register.

The trust is particularly keen to recruit men aged 18 to 40.