Jack's New Start; Swap-Op Boy Plays With Pals After Being Given All Clear Give Jack A Chance

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), July 25, 2008

Byline: By LISA HUTCHINSON

IT WAS the magnificent news they had been waiting for.

Doctors have revealed that swap-op patient Jack Close has been given the all clear.

And after being in isolation for months, the excited schoolboy celebrated by pulling on his football strip and running out onto the field to have a kick about with his friends.

It was all his dreams rolled into one when he was told he could go back to being a child and was allowed to play with his pals.

And Jack, a pupil of Rowlands Gill Primary School, wasted no time as he set up the cricket stumps, got soaked during a water fight and laughed with his mates.

Today the ecstatic eight-year-old said: "It's brilliant, it's the start of the summer holidays and all my friends were playing outside. I have been told I'm better now and I can go with them. I was fed-up of having to stay in the house and now I can go out again.

"I'm so happy, I've really missed playing football and doing other things. This is going to be the best summer holiday I've ever had."

And just when he thought life couldn't get better Jack was then granted a wish by the Rays of Sunshine charity, which organises trips of a lifetime for seriously ill children and their families, to go on a dream holiday to America's Disney World in April next year.

The Chronicle first told of Jack's plight back in September. He had been diagnosed with the rare blood condition called Chronic Granulomatous Disorder, which was wrecking his immune system.

It meant cells in his bone marrow could not fight off bacteria and Jack was susceptible to infection, which could potentially have led to his death. He needed a bone marrow transplant urgently.

The Chronicle launched the Give Jack a Chance campaign asking people in the North East to register as blood marrow donors. A perfect match was found a month later.

He went into Newcastle's General Hospital on February 15 for a course of chemotherapy and had the operation two weeks later.

Jack was in the isolation ward for seven weeks where the Chronicle organised a meeting with his football hero - Toon star Steven Taylor.

He was allowed home in April but was still on medication to help fight off infection until his new immune system could work by itself and was isolated from his friends. He was linked up to his classmates via a webcam and was in contact with them through his computer at home.

Today Jack's parents, Laura and Bryce, told of their joy at seeing their little boy back to being himself. Laura, 40, a dinner lady, said: "This week Jack was given the all clear. We went to the hospital, as we do every week to get his blood taken, and we were told that he was fine, all cured. His immune system isn't quite back to the normal levels yet but that will just take time so he still has to take a medicine for that. But apart from that, Jack is great.

"When we came back from the hospital Jack ran straight upstairs, put on his football strip and ran outside to play with the boys on the field. There were only a few of his friends out at first but word got around that Jack was outside and they all came to play.

"He did everything all at once. He then played cricket, got on his scooter and got soaked when he started a water fight with his water pistols. He has been in isolation for months now to avoid any infections and he's so happy that he can go out and play during the summer holidays. It all happened at the right time."

Laura, who also has daughter Lyndsay, 12, added: "This was the best news ever but then we were told his wish to go to Disney World had been granted and the holiday had been booked for next April. We can't stop smiling at the moment, we're delighted."

DIARY

THE route of Jack's illness and recovery.

August 2006: Diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disorder, which was wrecking his immune system, and is put on medication.

July, 2007: Bone marrow donor is found in Germany.

September 2007: Bone marrow donor no longer available. A new search starts.

October 2007: The Chronicle launches the Give Jack a Chance campaign to find a donor. Newcastle General Hospital finds a match.

November 2007: Jack's eighth birthday and he is the guest of honour at St James's Park.

December 2007: Jack and pupils at Rowlands Gill Primary school raise pounds 3,400 for the Anthony Nolan Trust and Ward 23 at Newcastle General Hospital.

February 14,2008: Jack arrives at General Hospital to start 10 days of chemotherapy.

February 28, 2008: Transplant takes place and is placed in the isolation ward.

March 18, 2008: Transplant went well.

April 14, 2008: Home. Still in isolation.

July 22, 2008: He's given the all-clear.

COMMENT: PAGE 6

To read Jack's mam's online diary, log on to: www.chroniclelive.co.uk/jackclose

CAPTION(S):

FIELD OF DREAMS: Jack Close can play out with his pals again after recovering from a bone marrow operation PICTURES: LEANNE HOLCROFT www.chroniclelive.co.uk/buyaphoto ref: 01332138; GREAT RECOVERY: Jack in hospital and, right, with friends, l-r, Stephen Burns, Dan Wansell, Matthew Raymond, Daniel Barlaser and Frazer Briggs.