MY NEPHEW Finley is six.

Like a lot of six year old boys, he loves trains and planes, football and swimming. And video games. Thanks to me, he’s now also into tanks.

Finley is also unlucky enough to be one of the twelve children a year diagnosed with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia (JMML), a rare and aggressive blood cancer which he has about a 50/50 chance of defeating. His best chance of beating this cruel disease is a transplant from a blood stem cell donor with the same genetic make-up as him.

This is the gift he really, really needs this Christmas.

Until recently, I didn’t realise there was much that Joe Public could do to help a stranger with blood cancer. I’d thought that, if diagnosed with leukaemia, you turned to a more fortunate family member to help you out. This is, of course, the first port of call, but the reality is that 75% of UK patients won’t find a matching donor in their families.

So, DKMS – a blood cancer charity dedicated to helping people like Finley – look for unrelated donors to give people with blood cancer the second chance at life they desperately need.

It’s very simple to do. You register with DKMS, an envelope arrives with three swabs in it, you rub these in your cheeks and take a sample of your DNA. Your tissue type is logged, and your suitability as a blood stem cell donor noted. When someone needs you to save their life – DKMS get in touch.

My work with DKMS has led to record breaking numbers of new potential donors signing up to the blood stem cell register. More than 30,000 generous souls signed up in a single weekend. But the truth is, this is like a lottery: the more people who buy a ticket, the higher chance there is of someone winning a jackpot.

So, this Christmas why not consider giving the gift that no money can buy, and register as a potential lifesaver with DKMS. You could save someone’s life by taking ten minutes to register, and five minutes to do your swabs.

We live in a world where we are told we are all divided, but the fact is that I am astonished by the kindness, and unity of strangers. Tens of thousands of you signed up with DKMS to try to help my nephew. That’s a reason to be cheerful.

Miracles can happen. This Christmas, be a part of that miracle.

If you are aged between 17 - 55 and are in general good health, simply request your home swab kit at www.dkms.org.uk to become a potential lifesaver.

Al Murray

Comedian