Young Luke Hartley recovering after second transplant op

1:00pm Saturday 24th November 2007

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A SECOND attempt to cure Hampshire boy Luke Hartley of a life-threatening genetic condition has gone well.

Seven-year-old Luke underwent an hour-long bone marrow transplant on Thursday - the second transplant he has had this year.

The operation went according to plan, but Luke and his family, from Romsey, now face an agonising wait of several weeks to discover whether it has been a success.

Dad David said: "Luke had a good dose of adult stem cells and we are very happy with that. He has been a little bit sick since, but that is normal.

"We will have to wait at least a couple of weeks before we have any real sense of the operation's success.

"It's a very difficult waiting game, but Luke has responded pretty well so far and I am certain he will pick up as the days go on."

Luke will remain in isolation in London's Great Ormond Street Hospital as his immune system is very weak.

He had a course of chemotherapy before the transplant, to kill off his immune system and make way for a new one.

He is the youngest of four brothers who were all diagnosed with X-linked lymphoproliferative (XLP) syndrome in November 2003.

Joshua, 15, Nathan, 13, and 11-year-old Daniel have all had successful bone marrow transplants, which are the only cure for the condition.

XLP leaves sufferers with no immunity against illnesses including glandular fever and cancer of the blood.