'My baby hardly ever cried but when we noticed a bruise on his arm our lives were turned upside down'

The first six weeks of little Francis' life were nearly perfect. His mother Anna described her son as a 'joyful' baby who 'hardly ever cried.'

But after she noticed an unexplained bruise on the tot's arm, the family's life was 'turned upside down.' Initially, he was given blood tests, which didn't reveal anything abnormal.

Francis was eventually given a bone marrow biopsy, after becoming very unwell and tired. His devastated parents were told he has acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) - a type of blood cancer which causes the bone marrow to make too many abnormal white blood cells and prevents it from making healthy blood cells.

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Francis, from Walton in Liverpool has been admitted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital where he will undergo chemotherapy before being transferred to Manchester Children’s Hospital in November.

"Finding out that our baby has blood cancer has completely turned our world upside down," Anna told the PA news agency.

"You never think something like this will happen to you, you feel so desperate. We’re devastated that Francis is having to face something so hard so young."

According to the NHS, about 3,100 people are diagnosed with AML in the UK each year. The risk of developing the disease increases with age and it is most common in those over the age of 75.

Francis’s biopsy showed his bone marrow was 80% cancer cells. Doctors have informed the family that at the end of his treatment, Francis will need a stem cell transplant as his only chance of a cure.

The family are now urging people to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register in a bid to find Francis a match. "If you’re able to sign up, please consider