A British family are in race against time to find a lifesaving donor for a baby with a ‘one in a million’ disease – after they exhausted the worldwide register.
Doctors have searched the entire global database of bone marrow donors to find a match for Reign Miller-Hardy.
The 11-month-old was rushed to hospital with a high temperature, and initially medics thought he had an ear infection or Covid-19.
But within a three days he was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis – a condition where his immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs.
The tiny tot was put into a coma to let his body rest, but his heartbroken family said he won’t survive without an urgent bone marrow transplant
And despite scouring the global database, no match has been found for him.
His parents Scott Hardy, 28, and Ashleigh Miller, 32, from Barry, Wales, are urging more potential donors to come forward and save their son’s life.
Speaking on behalf of this family, his great aunt Lisa Evans, 32, said: “His parents are under a lot of pressure at the moment.
“They are deeply upset and desperately hoping for a match.”
Reign was diagnosed with the rare condition at 10 months old after a week of illness.
His condition means the immune system attacks healthy tissues and organs including the liver, brain and bone marrow.
Lisa said: “The doctors at first thought he had an ear infection or virus.
“They put it down to numerous amounts of things. They tested him for Covid-19 and that was negative.
“It then got to the point where they admitted him to hospital because they couldn’t get his temperature under control.
“At the moment he is having regular blood transfusions, platelets and intense chemotherapy.
“He’s constantly on antibiotics because his immune system is zero.
“He has no immune system at all, so he’s constantly picking up viruses.
He was admitted to University Hospital of Wales, before he was taken to a hospital in Newcastle where he is waiting on medication from America to suppress his symptoms.
But without a bone marrow transplant, his family say he will not survive.
Reign’s parents, Scott, a home maintenance and garden landscaper, and Ashleigh, a stay-at-home mum, who has two other daughters are taking it in turns to be by his bedside due to Covid restrictions.
To see if you are a match visit www.anthonynolan.org