THE American who saved Nicola Coates's life with a transatlantic bone marrow transplant has paid his first visit to Britain - as the special guest of her family.

Newspaper editor Scott Wittchow and his wife, Gretchen, have spent the past fortnight with Nicola and her parents, Gary and Hazel, of Wheldrake, near York.

They all visited the offices of the Evening Press, which in 1999 organised the Race For A Donor campaign to find a bone marrow donor to help Nicola in her battle against leukaemia.

While that campaign helped swell the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust's register of potential donors, none were suitable for Nicola.

But tests showed that Scott - who by coincidence had joined an American donor register years ago while covering the story of a young American woman who needed a transplant - was a good match.

The transplant went ahead in early 2000, since when Nicola has made a great recovery. She went with her family to the United States last year to meet Scott and thank him for saving her life. The Coates then invited the Wittchows to pay a return visit.

The newspaper which Scott edits in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, is owned by American publishers Gannett, which by another coincidence is also the parent company of the Evening Press. The party toured our newsroom and print hall after meeting editor Kevin Booth and managing director Liz Page.

Over the fortnight, the Coates family have taken their American guests on a tour of some of Britain's top tourist spots, including Edinburgh, London, Whitby and the Yorkshire Dales.

Nicola's parents also hosted a garden party attended by about 80 friends, neighbours and family members, during which Gary gave an emotional speech thanking the guest of honour for saving his daughter's life, and also thanking Hazel for all her support over the years.

Updated: 09:19 Saturday, June 12, 2004