A little boy who has spent every Christmas in the hospital finally got to be with his family this year.
Daniel McAvoy, three, was born in the spring of 2019 and weeks later was diagnosed with a rare blood disease his family feared he would not survive.
Daniel was then in hospital over the festivities in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
But after having a successful second stem cell transplant 12 months ago, his wish to spend Christmas with mum Georgie, 32, dad Andrew, 39, and sister Holly, six, has come true.
Daniel’s life was saved thanks to the Anthony Nolan donor register.
Georgie said: “This Christmas is incredibly special for us. We put decorations up in November, we couldn’t wait. He was so excited.
“We’ve been pulling out all the stops. We went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park to celebrate the first anniversary of his transplant and we will go to Butlin’s.
“It will be Daniel’s first proper holiday. But Christmas Day is quiet at home. It’s not about what’s under the tree, but who’s around it that matters.
“Without Daniel’s donor and the wonderful doctors and nurses, he would not be here today. We can’t thank them enough.”
Daniel was three weeks old when he was rushed to the hospital after his parents found blood in his nappy. He spent 11 days in intensive care battling sepsis.
Georgie and Andrew had him christened in his hospital bed in case he did not pull through. Daniel survived, but tests showed the number of clotting cells called platelets in his blood had fallen and he was diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
The genetic disorder affects just one in every million boys and inspired Anthony Nolan’s mum Shirley to create the world’s first bone marrow register.
Sadly it failed to find a suitable donor to save her son before he died in 1979.
Daniel was due to have his first transplant in March 2020 but it was postponed due to the pandemic.
It finally went ahead at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital in June of that year. But his body rejected the donor cells and in October 2021 he was rushed to the hospital vomiting blood.
Georgie said: “He was the worst he had ever been, it was terrifying. He had exhausted every other treatment option and the doctors told us his only chance was another transplant.”
A second donor was found within weeks and Daniel was allowed home to spend time with his family in Huntingdon, Cambs, before his procedure.
On December 2, 2021, the youngster started chemotherapy to kill off his immune system ready for transplant, which he had eight days later.
Andrew spent Christmas Day in the hospital with Daniel. Georgie said: “He dressed as Santa to give him his presents. Daniel was so excited.”
He was finally allowed home in the summer and has been improving ever since. Georgie said: “We can finally start thinking about the future.”
- To join the stem cell donor register or donate money to support Anthony Nolan’s work, visitanthonynolan.org.
