Ryan recovering from lifesaving bone marrow op

A little boy with a rare disease is recovering from a bone marrow transplant in hospital.

Ryan Caulfield-McCormack, 6, had surgery on St Stephen’s Day in the University of Minnesota’s Amplatz Children’s Hospital. The youngster, from Tramore, Co Waterford, was flown to the US to start his lifesaving treatment last month.

His parents Caroline and James have been at his bedside while Ryan’s twin brother Jack and younger brother Ethan, 4, are cared for by family in Ireland.

More than 5,000 people have been monitoring Ryan’s progress on Facebook, where Caroline wrote about her son’s “big day” on the ‘Save Ryan and Ethan Appeal’ page. “God bless Ryan’s donor, thank you,” she wrote, before asking for “candles, prayers and crossed fingers” for Ryan.

Yesterday Caroline and James posted a photograph of Ryan with his doctor after the transplant. The parents described the medics as “amazing”.

Life has been turned upside down for the Waterford couple since two of their sons were diagnosed with a rare inherited disorder, ALD — Adrenoleukodystrophy.

Ryan’s twin, Jack, does not have the disease, but his brother Ethan is suffering from ALD, which damages the protective layer covering nerve cells in the brain. Ethan will follow his brother to the US for a bone marrow transplant in the near future. The family must raise €3m for treatment.

* Donations can be made to the Save Ryan and Ethan Fund through Bank of Ireland in Tramore, account number 18596922, sort code 90-47-04.