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BRAVE Luke Hartley was this week making good progress in London's Great Ormond Street Hospital as he continued his six-week battle against a virus and soaring temperatures.

Luke is the last of Romsey's four Hartley brothers to have undergone bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with the rare genetic condition, X-linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome.

He had been recovering from the transplant, which took place in November, but his progress was hampered when he was hit by a rotavirus and a reaction to one of his drugs caused high temperatures, a fast heart rate and low blood pressure, as well as fluid retention.

He was taken to Southampton General Hospital on April 1 and later transferred to Great Ormond Street, where his condition was improving this week.

Following medication, his temperatures dropped over the weekend and there were other improvements in his condition and his father David said: "He is an amazing little man and is keeping his chin up.

"But he is still very tired and jaded and his temperature is still in the late 38's - but these are controlled well by IV paracetamol. He has had five days on nothing but fluid and is now on TPN (and IV food that gives him all his calories and vitamins he needs) but is still having stomach pains. The team at GOSH believe that this will subside as the lymph nodes shrink."

Further good news was that the effect of a second virus had receded significantly from last week and Luke's own immune system was handling it.

Luke's mum, Allison, is with him at Great Ormond Street, while back at the family's Romsey home, his oldest brother, Joshua, 16, has been busy studying for his GCSEs.

Meanwhile, the family are continuing to raise funds for the XLP Research Trust and details can be found at www.xlpresearchtrust.org

9:38am Friday 16th May 2008

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