A regional press journalist’s campaign for compulsory bone marrow education in sixth form colleges has reached the House of Lords.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner reporter Adrian Sudbury, who is dying of leukaemia, is fighting to have classes about bone marrow donation added to the curriculum for all 17 and 18-years-olds.

The House of Lords were full of praise for the 26-year-old’s campaign when it came before the Upper House.

Junior Lords minister Baroness Thornton spoke about the NHS campaign Give and Let Live which highlights the importance of marrow and blood donation.

She said it would be relaunched in schools in September following Adrian’s meeting with Gordon Brown, schools minister Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

Baroness Thornton also discussed plans to spread collection and transplant sites, currently only in London, across the country.

Labour peer Lord Harrison told the House: “My Lords, given the bravery of Adrian Sudbury who, even in his dying days, campaigned vigorously to improve the opportunities to find life-saving donors for bone marrow transplants, will my noble friend build on the need to talk to our young people in schools and colleges and impress upon them the ease and importance of giving blood, in order to find donors?

“Will she also build upon the excellent work of the national blood register and the Anthony Nolan Trust to ensure that we produce a comprehensive register, equal in effectiveness to that in Germany in providing matches for such blood donor transplants?”

Adrian continues to chronicle his on-going campaign and battle with two forms of leukaemia on his award-winning Baldy’s Blog.

His Daily Examiner colleague Katie Campling submitted a petition for Adrian’s campaign on the Downing Street website.

It has so far received more than 7,200 signatures but Adrian says he is hopeful it will tip the 10,000 mark before the July 23 deadline.

Ex-football Gary Lineker and news broadcaster Natasha Kaplinsky have both signed their support.

Meanwhile, local councillors in Huddersfield held a bone marrow donation clinic in the town in response to Adrian’s campaign.