A bone marrow transplant from an overseas donor cured Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) patient Fletcher McLoughlan’s rare immune deficiency condition known as Wiskott-Aldridge syndrome.

Five-year-old Fletcher had his transplant in 2010, spending time in intensive care and in isolation at the RCH. He then spent six months at home in isolation.

RCH bone marrow transplant physician Dr Karin Tiedemann said children with Wiskott-Aldridge syndrome was so rare, only one new case arose every couple of years in Victoria.

“He’s an amazing child. I kept wondering how he would cope being in isolation, but he was very resilient, and Thomas the tank engine helped a lot,” Dr Tiedemann said. “He’s been a spirited little lad ever since.”

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