The Boy In 7 Billion: A True Story of Love, Courage and Hope by Callie Blackwell & Karen Hockney

Author:Callie Blackwell & Karen Hockney [Blackwell, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Mirror Books
Published: 2017-04-04T16:00:00+00:00

The Boy in 7 Billion

Chapter 26

Meanwhile, Christmas came and went in a flash. There was still no news of a donor for Deryn. I’d seen many people appealing for a suitable donor online and while I always shared their plight, I had never felt anxious about whether we would find one for Deryn. I just assumed someone, somewhere would be a match for him.

There was a young girl in the isolation room opposite Deryn who had been searching for a donor for years. She was being kept alive with cells derived from horse or rabbit blood. It was amazing what could be done but nothing could substitute a bone marrow transplant and there are many risks associated with severely mismatched marrow.

The perfect donor would be a 10/10 match with Deryn’s protein markers, which means less of a chance of the transplant failing. In his own inimitable fashion, Deryn had quite rare markers and the rarity of his marrow would make finding a 10/10 donor increasingly unlikely. However, the team were very optimistic that they would be able to find at least a 9/10 match.

In mid-January, I received the call I had been waiting for. A donor, at last. Our first visit to the Bristol Children’s Hospital loomed and I was filled with trepidation about the procedure but also a sense of excitement at the idea of living in a bustling city for several months, exploring new sights and sounds whenever Deryn’s health might allow it.

Simon drove us down and in a matter of hours, we were a long way from the familiar flatlands of Norfolk, skirting an undulating landscape which became more built up and urban until we approached the funky, multicoloured hoop sculpture which marked the hospital’s cheerful, brightly decorated entrance.

We were greeted warmly by an enthusiastic elderly receptionist who directed us to the oncology day ward. The lift had a running commentary from Wallace, of Wallace and Gromit fame, telling kids to hold on tight as it went between floors. Thoughtful touches like this along with the welcoming smiles from staff gave me confidence that Deryn was going to be in excellent hands.

We made our way to the day ward to meet Charlotte, the transplant coordinator, who would be in charge of the smooth running of all tests and prep meetings. Deryn was looking a little green around the gills and no sooner had she arrived than he was hunched over a paper bowl vomiting. It wasn’t much of an introduction.

She had arranged a meeting with Deryn’s consultant to discuss his forthcoming treatment, the ‘chat’ I had been dreading. Deryn and Dylan stayed in the playroom – a relief as at this stage, I wanted to relay everything Deryn needed to know in my own way rather than have him listening in on every torturous detail.

Deryn’s new consultant stepped out of her office to greet us and I was speechless at how glamorous she was. Clad in the most exquisite dress, her hair and make-up were flawless and she was dripping in elegant gold jewellery.

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