A MUM has told of her pride after her young son received life-saving bone marrow. . . from his older brother.

Transplant youngster Owen Constable Walker, six, is back home after a gruelling two months of treatment.

Using the bone marrow of brother Cameron, nine, Owen was given a transplant in November in a bid to beat a rare genetic disorder which had left his body unable to produce red blood cells.

Now the brothers, pupils at Windygoul Primary School, are reunited back home in Tranent as Owen begins the next phase of his recovery.

East Lothian Courier:

Mum Vanessa said she was so proud of Cameron for giving his little brother the vital transplant and the family were looking forward to the future.

She said: “Owen has a long way to go in his recovery. He is like a newborn when it comes to his immune system and we have to keep everything as sterile as possible.

“I am so proud of Cameron for helping his little brother. The decision was always his and he went ahead with it. It was a brave thing to do.”

Owen has Fanconi’s anaemia, a rare condition which is life-limiting and has no cure.

There are fewer than 150 diagnosed cases of the condition in the United Kingdom, with the chances of being born with it as low as one in a million.

The youngster was born five weeks premature and spent his first few months in hospital.

He was born without thumbs and missing a radius bone, early indicators of the condition, but was not diagnosed until he was two years old, when his weight plummeted to just 16lbs and he was rushed into hospital.

Children with Fanconi’s anaemia are at an extremely high risk of developing cancer, most often leukaemia, and the only option for Owen was a bone marrow transplant.

And with sibling donors considered the best possibility, Cameron was tested and found to be a match.

Vanessa said: “There was a lot of discussion with the specialists to make sure Cameron understood what being his brother’s donor meant and that he was willingly agreeing to it.

"Once the specialists were convinced he was, we were given the go-ahead.”

The family travelled to the Schiehallion Unit at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children in November and Owen began the gruelling chemotherapy treatment he needed to destroy his bone marrow and prepare him for the transplant.

A week later, Cameron was admitted and his stem cells harvested to donate to his brother.

But Owen developed Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), a reaction to the new stem cells, and became very ill.

Vanessa said: “Owen developed GVHD but If we had not had a sibling donor his reaction could have been much worse. The staff at the unit were just amazing.”

Owen, who is currently on anti-rejection medication and steroids, faces up to a year of recovery and regular hospital visits, and is unlikely to be able to return to school for a significant period of time.

His family sent special thanks to Professor Brenda Gibson and her team at the unit for their support.

Vanessa said: “Professor Gibson is so dedicated and a truly amazing medical professional. She, and all her team, are so supportive, we can’t thank her enough.”

Avril Wilson, headteacher at Windygoul Primary School, where both boys attend, said: “We are delighted that Owen’s bone marrow transplant was a success, and all the staff and pupils wish him all the very best in his recovery. We look forward to welcoming him back to school when he is well enough.

"We are also delighted that Cameron is doing well after his stem cell donation, and it’s great to see him back at school with his friends.”