Montresor family/Facebook Blue-eyed Alessandro Montresor looks to the side of the camera with a tube in his nose. An appeal by Italian parents desperate to find a bone marrow donor for their 18-month-old son has inspired action. Alessandro Montresor, also known as Alex, has a rare immune disorder that affects "only 0.002% of children" and can only be cured with a transplant.

His parents Paolo and Christina, who met and live in London, are in a race against time as doctors say Alex has only five weeks to find a match. As a result, events have been organised across Italy for people to get tested. The family "are amazed and grateful for the tsunami of solidarity" in the wake of their appeal, a family friend told the BBC on Thursday.