Transplant op hope for brave James, 8
A courageous boy who is fighting two forms of cancer for the second time in his young life is due to have a transplant this month.
A German donor who is a 100 per cent match for eight-year-old James Byard-Hunt has been found in following an extensive search which began in May.
James, from Luston, near Leominster, is currently at Birmingham Children's Hospital undergoing tests to prepare him for the bone marrow transplant.
The youngster was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in October 2008, a condition so rare Birmingham Children's Hospital only deals with about three cases a year.
After extensive treatment, James went into remission in December 2008. However in May 2012, a few purple dots – called a platelet rash – appeared behind James's ear and the family faced its worst nightmare.
Success rate
"The leukaemia had returned, my beautiful boy had yet another fight on his hands, this time it would mean a bone marrow transplant," said Caroline, James's mum.
"Although transplants have a very high success rate, if the leukaemia was to return after the transplant there would be nothing else that the haematology team could do."
Meanwhile, a fundraising group called Little Hero's, set up by Nik Byard, Caroline's brother, and Leanne Hughes, have raised money for them to go to Disneyworld in Florida, raising £8,740 so far, thanks to the generosity of the whole Leominster community, with sponsored walks, school discos and quiz nights. and a £2,500 donation from Powell and Co Construction Ltd.
"We are going to register Little Hero's as a charity and we will continue to raise funds to help other local children." A Facebook page has 750 members, and the group can be contacted at littleheros@hotmail.co.uk
