THE youngest of Romsey's four Hartley brothers will receive a lifesaving bone marrow donation from his older brother tomorrow.

Seven-year-old Luke Hartley is the last of the four brothers to receive a transplant - the only lifeline to cure him of the potentially fatal X-linked lymphoproliferative (XLP) syndrome.

His older brother Nathan, 13, is travelling up to join him at Great Ormond Street Hospital today.

Nathan will give his bone marrow tomorrow morning. It will then be processed and Luke should receive it in the afternoon.

Luke has been in isolation at Great Ormond Street since last Thursday after starting a course of chemotherapy to destroy his own bone marrow.

Their father David said: "All is going to plan for Luke. He finished his chemotherapy on Sunday and has tolerated it well. That being said, he did have a reaction last week to one of his chemo drugs that gave him a seizure.

"But in 15 minutes he was 100 per cent again and a subsequent CT scan showed no effects on the brain."

All four brothers were diagnosed with XLP, or Duncan's Disease, in 2003. Joshua, 15, Nathan and 11-year-old Daniel have all had successful bone marrow transplants.

A transplant is the only cure for the genetic condition, which leaves sufferers with no immunity against illnesses such as glandular fever and cancer of the blood.

Luke will remain in isolation for about three more weeks until his immune system becomes stronger following the transplant.