Hundreds of mourners were at the funeral of a former British karate champion who died of leukaemia while awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Kevin Phelps, 38, a computer engineer from Aston in Birmingham, died at Sandwell General Hospital on 10 June. His funeral took place at Aston Parish Church on Friday before his burial at Witton Cemetery. More than 1,000 black people came forward in donor sessions to try to find a bone marrow match for Mr Phelps. Three sessions were held and the appeal for donors widened from Birmingham to Coventry in March as time passed without success. Mr Phelps had been diagnosed in October 2005 and underwent three bouts of chemotherapy in the space of five months. Before his illness Kevin lived a healthy life. He was a dedicated martial artist, didn’t smoke, and drank alcohol in moderation. After his death the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust appealed for more people of African, African Caribbean or mixed parentage descent to register as potential bone marrow donors. Continue reading courtesy BBC News