Toni said: “When I started my donation all I knew was the person weighed about eight stone. I later learned it was a woman who was older than me but younger than my mum.

“When you think about it, you realise that she is someone’s daughter, and perhaps a mum or a sister.

“It put it into context what I was doing and the importance of the bone marrow register.”

Toni donated in November last year and said she was wrong to feel anxious about the procedure.

She said: “When it came down to it, there was nothing to be scared about – it was just like giving blood.

“The worst thing is how bored you are sitting down for four hours while they collect your bone marrow.

“A lot of people said ‘oh, it must have been painful’ but it wasn’t. People think it is a massive procedure but it isn’t. It was nice to be able to do it.”

Gary is still the only football player to win the FA Cup with Liverpool and Everton and is revered by fans of both clubs.

His family said they had been comforted by “overwhelming” support since his death.

Toni added: “We spent the day together as a family. We have had a lot of support from the public and through Twitter which is nice and has helped us.”

For more information about Anthony Nolan or to sign up online, visit www.anthonynolan.org