BBC News | HEALTH | Hope for bone marrow transplant children

Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London have developed a new kind of transplant for very sick children who cannot have normal bone marrow transplants.

Twelve children, who would otherwise have died, have had the new treatment successfully.

One of these was 12-year-old Nathan Wilson, who just one year ago was dying.

His liver was failing because of a rare genetic problem which meant his immune system did not work properly.

nathan
Nathan was too weak for conventional treatment
He needed a bone marrow transplant. But he was so sick, the chemotherapy needed before a transplant would have killed him.

At Great Ormond Street they gave him a new kind of treatment - a mini bone marrow transplant. It uses a chemotherapy drug which even Nathan's damaged liver could survive.

Dr Paul Veys said: "The drugs that are used in this are far more easily tolerated more gentle on both these organs.

Veys
Dr Paul Veys says the treatment offers very sick children hope
"So even if the lungs or liver are damaged the child tolerates them and the graft goes in."

It has changed Nathan's life and he has now started secondary school.

"Now I can play football and run around a lot," he said.

"Before I could only stay out for like half an hour - now I can stay out for, like three hours."

Doctors now hope too use the procedure on children suffering other genetic diseases.


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