Perth father with leukemia to receive potentially lifesaving gift of bone marrow

A Perth father with leukemia is about to receive a potentially lifesaving gift.

Electrician Gennaro Rapinese, 39, from the city’s northern suburbs will be given a lifeline bone marrow donation in the next week.

He was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia - a form of blood cancer -  in 2015.

Mr Rapinese will have chemotherapy before the transplant, at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

He’ll be in hospital for up to six weeks.

A post on the family’s Facebook page confirmed the news.

It said: “Our prayers have certainly been answered & we are over the moon with sheer happiness & joy! This person is our saviour.

“They are giving us the greatest of all gifts - gifting our family with the opportunity of a second chance at life. We could not be more thankful or more grateful. I really don’t think they will ever truly understand just how much this means to us.”

“We are so anxious, nervous & scared as to what will come, but at the same time so relieved, hopeful & fortunate that we have this opportunity.”

Mr Rapinese was diagnosed after a routine blood test after he felt unwell, four years ago.

He has already had chemotherapy, and went into remission in 2016.

He even had a third child with wife Jo.

But in February he was told the cancer was back, and only a bone marrow transplant would save his life.

The family launched a campaign to get people to join the Australian Bone Marrow Registry in a desperate effort to find a match.

The family is still urging people to join the Registry.