Boy's transplant off but family reunited for Christmas

Gunner has already had one stem cell transplant

A boy with a rare condition will not be able to have a second stem cell transplant over the festive period.

Gunner, four, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, has mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), a disease which can cause physical abnormalities.

He had his first transplant at 18 months old but his second operation has been delayed after he contracted an infection.

It means his family members no longer have to isolate this Christmas.

Gunner's condition means he cannot break down his body's natural sugars and they start to be stored in his brain and organs, putting them at risk.

His mother Holly said the transplant, of blood contained in a donated umbilical cord, would help Gunner's body build natural sugars to protect him from brain damage.

Gunner's operation is now due to happen in early January

The pair were expecting to isolate at Christmas, leaving Holly's husband and their daughter alone.

But a dormant hospital bug was detected in his system and the operation is now set to happen in early January.

Gunner thankfully has no symptoms and while he will be "wrapped in cotton wool", the family are now able to isolate as a quartet instead.

Gunner is now able to spend Christmas with his sister

"We were going to be separate [with] myself and Gunner and then my husband and my daughter," Holly explained.

"We've actually got to isolate together now. It will be just the four of us at home which is really lovely."

Holly said the transplant would be daunting because her family had been through the process once.

But she added they were trying to stay positive: "We've got each other, we're a tight family unit."