Transplant boy 'very weak'

Press, 18 July 1979, Page 2

Transplant boy 'very weak'

NZPA London The bone marrow boy, Anthony Nolan, aged seven, has suffered two set-backs. A statement issued yesterday by his appeal organisers said he was now “very weak.”

His mother, Mrs Shirley Nolan, was told that vital tests to try to make the boy’s uncle into a compatible donor had failed and that a transplant could not go ahead. The bad news resulted from a severe haemorrhage suffered by Anthony Nolan at the week-end. He lost a pint and a half of blood and is now very weak. Mrs Nolan said at Westminster Children's Hospital: “We just do not know what happens now.” She and her helpers still have to work to raise about $lO,OOO a month to run special laboratories at St Mary Abbots Hospital, Kensington, where volunteers are tissuetyped in the hunt for donors for children such as Anthony.

“This is our only hope now. We have to keep hoping we will find a matching donor for him through the laboratories. Thousands of people are coming forward,” Mrs Nolan said.

Anthony Nolan’s uncle, Mr Tony Oakey, aged 27, a university lecturer, was the last member of the boy’s family to undergo special treatment to try to make him into a compatible donor. His blood was mixed with Anthony’s, specially treated, and then injected back into them both in the hope that it would “switch off” the parts which would cause a graft to reject. The attempt was not successful. Yesterday after a blood transfusion, Anthony was described as comfortable.