by Rachael Woods

Personal trainer Michael Horton is in the best shape he’s ever been as he prepares for the London Triathlon in July.

But six months ago, Michael was lying in a hospital bed after undergoing a bone marrow extraction in a Harley Street clinic.

The 27-year-old, who works in the AquaManda spa at Hempstead House, signed up to become a donor 18 months previously, but had put it to the back of his mind.

He had been on a company day out with girlfriend Hannah who worked for Wilkinsons and the retailer, which supports the Anthony Nolan Trust, was giving people the opportunity to take a simple test and go on the register.

Michael explained: “All I had to do was take a sip of water and spit it out into a tube to start the process – and I had forgotten that I had done it until I received an email from the Anthony Nolan Trust.”

The email came in February last year and Michael was directed to Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital where a blood sample was taken, which he posted off to the charity himself.

He then got the news that he was a match with a seriously ill teenage girl and he was booked in for his operation at the private London clinic in August.

Michael said: “I didn’t ask the doctors too many questions – I just said ‘let’s do it’.

“When I was growing up my mum had breast cancer and she was treated successfully with chemotherapy.

“If you’re ill you just expect that treatment will be there to help you, but bone marrow saves lives and it is only going to be there if people donate it.”

Michael had a general anaesthetic and says more than two pints of bone marrow was extracted from his pelvic bone, near his lower back.

After the procedure Michael, who lives in The Street, Bapchild, says that he felt discomfort, rather than pain.

“The pain after the operation was bearable but my main problem was tiredness – I struggled to do basic things like crossing the road when I got home.”

Hempstead House gave Michael two weeks off to recuperate and the former Westlands School pupil said that the Anthony Nolan Trust had constantly supported him throughout the process.

“Anthony Nolan were amazing - they did everything for me and held my hand all the way through.”

“Donating bone marrow was an incredible experience and it’s a cool thing to do for someone else. Now I have become part of another person’s life story.”