A YOUNG musician, whose desperate search for a stem cell donor touched people's hearts throughout York, has made a remarkable recovery from the brink of death.

Jamie Glover was told in February that may only have a few weeks to live, and at one stage was admitted to York St Leonard's Hospice.

But now the 21-year-old is optimistic of a "complete recovery" from Hodgkins Lymphoma and is living life to the full.

He spoke to the Evening Press from the Lake District, where he has been quad-biking and walking during a well-deserved break.

Tomorrow, he will get the chance to have his own musical composition recorded at a top studio.

Jamie was diagnosed at 18 with the rare disease, which affects white blood cells in the immune system. Hundreds of potential donors from York came forward to help him last year, but it was not until May that doctors found a suitable candidate.

Jamie underwent a transplant, but his disease started to come back around Christmas.

"I developed a condition called graft-versus-host-disease, which means that my graft from the transplant doesn't differentiate between the disease and my tissue. My new immune system wasn't given a chance to work."

Jamie started chemotherapy in February "to knock the disease on the head".

But the aggressive illness saw him admitted to St Leonard's later that month.

"I was pretty much at death's door. I was given a couple of weeks," he said. "That was ten weeks ago. It has been something of an unbelievable recovery."

Jamie returned to the home he shares with his parents and brother, Joseph, in Main Street, Appleton Roebuck, but said: "When I left the hospice, I had to be carried up the stairs and lifted out of the bath. My house had to be fitted with new lifts just to be able to do anything.

"I am well enough now to be in the Lake District and I must have walked about three miles yesterday. I feel as good as I felt post-transplant. It has been an amazing and very happy time. After being told I was dying, I now feel very appreciative of everything.

"We haven't given up on the transplant. The disease isn't growing and we are slowly decreasing the steroids. From a bleak situation there's still a chance of a complete cure. It is baby steps.

"My friends and family have been fantastic. You try to stay positive but need people to pick you up. We are all in limbo, but we would rather be in limbo than at my funeral."

Jamie has been writing an album called Sugar Coated Bitter Pills about his experience.

National charity, Dreams Come True, which fulfils the dreams of terminally ill and unwell youngsters, has arranged for him to have his music produced at Trevor Horn's Farm West Recording Studios in London tomorrow.

Updated: 10:21 Saturday, April 16, 2005