13,000 people register to become stem cell donors in a week to help save Devon 11 month old
Ellis Feldon's parents say the response has been 'overwhelming' and they hope it save other children's lives too
Last updated 11th Nov 2026
Following a plea from the parents of an almost 11-month-old North Devon child, more than 13,000 people have now signed up for a free donor registration kit in the past few days.
Ellis Feldon, from Chulmleigh, needs to find a matching stem cell donor for his rare life-threatening blood disorder called Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome - which affects boys.
Dad Matt says since he and partner Caitlin started a public appeal on Friday with the charity DKMS and the response has been 'amazing' since.
He said: "We are very much at peace that they might not be a match, you know all this effort that we're doing they might not be a match for Ellis - but they could be a match for someone else.
"Even if these registers aren't a match for Ellis if we can prevent another family being in the same position as us - you know just got a new born baby boy and getting the same news that we had - then that's worthwhile."
The Feldons have been in hospital at least twice a month since Ellis was born and say whilst they are proud of his progress it is hard living with uncertainty.
Ellis was readmitted to hospital with jaundice soon after being born and was struggling to keep his usual formula down. He was offered blood tests after developing severe eczema and blood spots on his skin.
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is a genetic disorder which impacts the body’s ability to fight infection - and usually appears in boys because of errors written into a section of DNA on the X chromosome.
Around three in every 1-million boys are known to have the condition worldwide and the Feldon's hope a match for Ellis can still be found.
A DKMS spokesperson said: “For Ellis and so many other patients, the right person signing up to the stem cell donor register could make all the difference.
“It takes just a few minutes to register, but if you are matched with someone in need, your donation could give them a future they might otherwise not have.
“We urgently need more people to come forward and join the register, helping to give Ellis and other patients diagnosed with blood cancers and disorders the best possible chance of finding a suitable donor.”
There's more about the work of DKMS and the tests here