"NO WORDS can describe the joy we are feeling."

That was the reaction of the father of a Hampshire teenager after it was revealed his daughter had found a stem cell donor match that could help save her life.

Despite just four per cent chance, Zara Al Shaikh has found a potential donor and is already in hospital preparing for surgery.

The brave 13 year old from Winchester was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 11.

Now her family can rest easy knowing she could soon be cured after a stem cell match was found.

"No words can describe the joy we are feeling," said her father Loua, 55, who has been by her bedside at University College Hospital, London with his wife Kerensa, 46, and younger daughter Claudia, 12.

"It is still sinking in but we are over the moon.

"The match is a good one, not perfect, but a 9/10 good one. However, these are just numbers, what matters is Zara has a good match.

"I would like to say a big, big eternal thank you to everyone that signed up to be a donor. We still have a long road ahead but we now have a donor."

Zara is currently in the capital undergoing "holding" chemotherapy to keep her in remission while she waits for the bone marrow transplant in May.

Revealing that a match had been found with an overseas donor, she said: “Amazing news, I've got a match! Thank you to everyone for the wonderful support and that special person for being on the register.”

Her mother, Kerensa, added: "We are so grateful to this amazing person for helping Zara and grateful to every one of you who has signed up to a bone marrow register. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

"Keep praying for us and keep everything crossed for a smooth transplant process."

The Daily Echo has backed the campaign to find the Kings' School pupil a match.

Last month, a donor drive, held by her friends and family in Winchester, saw more than 900 people – or two every minute – flood into St Peter’s Church, Jewry Street, to register.

Her school had also held fundraising events to raise cash for Delete Blood Cancer UK, who was helping Zara find a match, and presented them with a cheque for £500.

Emily Geer, deputy head of Year 9 at Kings' School, said: "It is just amazing, I hope everything goes really smoothly. I am so happy that she has finally got her match."

Zara has found it harder than most as her mother is English and her father is Iraqi.

This means she has a more diverse tissue type and her chances were much slimmer.

Zara went into remission late last year but was told in January that the disease had returned.

Jenny Clegg, head of communications at Delete Blood Cancer UK, added that everyone at the charity was overjoyed at the news: “It is wonderful that a match has been found for Zara.

"We are so happy for her and her family and our thoughts will be with them as she prepares for the donation.

"Our thoughts are always with the wonderful person who took the time to register as a potential donor, and who will now help save Zara’s life.”

However, the charity did confirm that even though a match has been found, there is still a long way to go.

"What has happened is that a match has been identified," said a spokesman.

"Nothing is set in stone until the procedure goes ahead."