Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min has appealed for Kingston residents with Korean, Japanese or Chinese heritage to come forward as a stem cell donor for a toddler with a life-threatening illness.

Alastair Kim, who is of Korean descent, was diagnosed with ultra-rare genetic disease chronic granulomatous disorder (CGD) in February last year, which wipes out the immune system meaning the slightest infection leaves him seriously ill.

His only hope of a cure is a bone marrow stem cell donor, but the person would most likely have to be of Korean, Japanese or Chinese heritage to meet the 90 per cent genetic match needed.

South-Korean star Son Heung-min, who joined Spurs in summer 2015, has called on Korean residents to attend a drop in event at New Malden Methodist Church on Saturday, January 21, to find out whether or not they are a match.

Visit cgdsociety.org for more information.