PARENTS are pleading for people to come forward this weekend to potentially save their five-year-old son's life.

Olivia Saxelby and Jamie Lee have appealed for people to get swabbed at Pitmaston Primary School today and tomorrow to see if they have the right tissue for a stem cell transplant.

Their son, Oscar, a pupil at the school, has been given just three months to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Miss Saxelby, a University of Worcester student, said: "He's got no other option but to have a transplant."

The 23-year-old said the lives of her and her 26-year-old partner, Jamie Lee, have been turned upside down since their son's diagnosis.

She added: "I woke up every night for a good month thinking I was still in a dream.

"I can't think straight when I'm away [from him], when I'm here I feel like it's normal. I haven't left his side.

"We don't live for the day, we live for the minute now. It's very different."

The former Perry Wood Primary School teaching assistant has been sleeping in a fold-down chair by her son's hospital bed for the last two months.

She found out that Oscar had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on December 28, after receiving the results of a blood test.

The couple asked for the test after Oscar was hit with a foam dart and suffered a big bruise on his cheek on Christmas Day.

After his diagnosis, Oscar was taken to Birmingham's Children's Hospital, where he has remained since, apart from a brief trip home in January.

She encouraged locals to attend this weekend's donor registration event – at Pitmaston Primary – or to request a swabbing kit from DKMS or Anthony Nolan.

Miss Saxelby said these kits come with three swabs, which can then be sent back to the charities for testing.

She added that if the charities find a match, the person who carried out the swabs will be invited to give blood for about an hour.

Miss Saxelby, of McIntyre Road, Worcester, said she and Jamie are looking forward to taking Oscar for a swim in the sea after his transplant.

Kate Wilcock, headteacher of Pitmaston Primary, said: "We are desperate for people to get swabbed. We are looking for that magic golden ticket person who will be the match for him.

"I'd like to say to people, please come to the school this weekend. Bring your family, neighbours, anyone you know. It's quick, painless and simple."

Mrs Wilcock said she was in a state of 'absolute shock and disbelief' when she found out about Oscar's diagnosis.

She added: "He was four at the time. I had that feeling of helplessness."

However she said she has been 'overwhelmed' by the outpouring of support for Oscar.

More than £7,900 has been donated to an online Just Giving page, which was set up by the school.

The headteacher said around 80 volunteers will be helping people to carry out swabs at the school today and tomorrow.

The charity DKMS will then analyse the swabs to see if there are any tissue matches.

Mrs Wilcock added that the charity has already had a huge number of online requests for swabbing kits to be sent out to them, in response to Oscar's story.

Local supermarkets have also donated cakes and refreshments, which will be sold at the school this weekend in aid of DKMS.

The school will be open between 9am and 3pm today and tomorrow.