Boy enjoys Christmas one year on from stem cell transplant using umbilical cord donated at Christmas 15 years earlier
A five-year-old boy is enjoying celebrating Christmas one year on from a stem cell transplant that was possible due to the blood from an umbilical cord that was donated during the festive period 15 years earlier.
Gunner Lewis-Vale, from Highley in Shropshire, has a life-limiting metabolic disorder which stops his body breaking down sugar. When diagnosed in 2021, aged 17 months, he was given just one to two years to live without a stem cell transplant.
He received a transplant shortly after Christmas in January 2024, using stem cells collected from umbilical cord blood generously donated to NHS Blood and Transplant just before Christmas 2008, 15 years earlier.
After six months of isolation, this summer he was able to go outside for the first time since the transplant and he is now celebrating Christmas with his family, even turning on the Christmas lights in his local town.
Gunner's story
Gunner’s mum Holly, 34, an administration assistant in audiology, said: “It’s incredible to think how much life has changed over the last year for Gunner and the wider family. We had a really difficult first half of the year, when Gunner had to isolate after the stem cell transplant but we’re now really beginning to see the difference it has made and are enjoying celebrating Christmas all together.
“Gunner and his big sister, Daisy, turned on the Christmas lights in our village this year, which was extremely special and added to the magic of this time of year. We’re spending Christmas Day with my dad and sister and are excited to create memories together as a family.
“We are so grateful to the mother who chose to donate her child’s umbilical cord all of those years ago – without them, Gunner wouldn’t have been able to have his stem cell transplant and things would look very different for us this Christmas.
“I cannot urge people enough to register as a stem cell donor if they are able. It really does make a huge difference to the people who need a stem cell transplant – and their families, too.”
Gunner has Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I Hurler Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body. His first symptom was a pushed-out belly button, caused by his body storing sugars in his liver and spleen and making them swollen. He faced many more complications and symptoms as his body started storing sugars throughout his organs, bones and brain, too.
Gunner’s treatment has included enzyme infusions and an earlier stem cell transplant from a donor in Germany which failed.
The second stem cell transplant is aimed at extending his life and giving him a better quality of life.
Stem cells
Stem cells can produce all essential blood cells, including red and white cells and platelets and are used to treat a number of diseases. For many, they are the patient’s only chance of a cure. When a patient needs a stem cell transplant, they will need a donor with a matching tissue type, which can be difficult to find.
Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following the birth of a baby. It is rich in blood stem cells and needs less matching than stem cells from an adult, so can often be a good alternative when a good adult donor match cannot be found on the global registries.
Cord blood can also be preferred in the treatment of certain diseases where the use of cord blood derived stem cells can result in better patient outcomes.
NHS Blood and Transplant collects cord blood at several London hospitals and there is a particular need for more donors of Black and Asian heritage.
For more information on stem cell donation and how to donate, visit our website.