A LOVING mum who is battling an aggressive blood cancer is desperately hoping she can find her “genetic twin” so she can live to see her son grow up.

Lisa Jackson, 47, from Clacton, decided to seek help after suddenly fainting at home and experiencing severe bouts of breathlessness.

Having initially tried to brush off the incident as nothing serious, her colleagues insisted she visited her doctor, after she was becoming visibly tired while at work.

Lisa, who works in property lettings, eventually headed to Colchester Hospital, where she was devastated to learn she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

“After a day of testing, my haematologist insisted on speaking to me personally and I knew it wasn’t going to be good news,” she said.

“He explained to me that I had blood cancer and that I’d need long-term chemotherapy and would have to put my life on hold.

“It has been a nightmare because one minute I’m at work and the next minute I’m on my way to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.

“Technically, I’ve not been home from work yet and I’ve been in the hospital for five weeks now.”

Lisa’s only chance of survival and seeing her son 17-year-old son Charlie grow up, is now dependent on her ability to have an urgent blood stem cell transplant.

But for the mum-of-one to be able to have the treatment, she needs to first find a matching stem cell donor, which she is hoping will come through DKMS.

The international and non-profit organisation, based in Germany, was founded in a bid to increase the chances of survival for those fighting rare blood cancers.

“Three years ago, I joined DKMS’s register because I heard about an appeal for someone with blood cancer who needed a second chance at life,” she added.

“So, I am now hopeful that a stranger will come forward and prove to be my genetic twin.

“Like any proud parent, I really want to see my son go through college and then on to work.”

If you are aged between 17-55 and in general good health, you can register to become a cell donor and potentially help Lisa by visiting dkms.org.uk/en/Lisa.