Saved by a stranger
My little lad owes his life to a donor
Ihated seeing my son Noah, then 2, so unwell. It was April 2015, and he’d lost his appetite and had no energy. When he started getting stomach pains and diarrhoea, I took him to our GP, who said it was probably just a bug. But Noah got worse. So, me and my partner Chris, 26, took him to A&E.
Referred to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, he had various tests.
A few months later, we were told Noah had a genetic defect, causing his immune system to attack itself in his gut.
The only cure him was to give him a new immune system.
Without one, the doctor told us he might not live past 30. We were devastated. Noah would need chemo to destroy his current immune system. Then, he’d have a stem-cell transplant to give him a new one.
Noah would go on the list to wait for a donor.
Chris and I both offered to donate but, as his parents, we’d only be a 50 per cent match.
By now, it was October, and I’d found out I was pregnant again.
‘We may be able to use stem cells from your baby’s umbilical cord,’ a doctor suggested.
There was a 25 per cent chance the baby would be a match for Noah.
Last July, I gave birth to Alba and, shortly afterwards her umbilical cord was tested. Sadly, she wasn’t a match. Noah would have to go on the Anthony Nolan register.
‘But he could be waiting forever,’ I cried to Chris.
Then, three months later in October, someone from Anthony Nolan called.
A woman in Germany was a perfect match.
Her stem cells were flown to the UK and, last November, Noah started a week of high-intensity chemo to strip his immune system.
Next, we got Noah ready for the transplant. ‘There are little men in your body, but yours aren’t very strong,’ I explained to him.
‘Will they ever get better?’ he asked.
‘Well, a lady is going to give you some of her little men, as hers are stronger,’ I replied.
Over six weeks, Noah had stem cells transplanted through an IV line.
After, he spent four weeks in isolation to prevent him developing an infection.
My brave boy took it all in his stride, and the change in him was remarkable.
When he was finally well enough to come home, he couldn’t wait to play with Alba.
Before long, he was kicking a ball around the garden again and up to his old tricks.
Doctors are confident that Noah, now 5, is cured, though they still can’t be sure what caused his immune system to start attacking itself.
Alba will need to be tested when she’s a bit older to rule out any problem, too.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have my cheeky chappy back again.
And I really can’t thank his donor enough.
This woman is a complete stranger, yet she saved Noah’s life.
I hope that by sharing Noah’s story, it’ll encourage others to sign up to become donors themselves.
Because if it can save someone’s life, then surely it’s worth it..?
I hope that others will sign up after reading this story…