RHYS Harris loves sport in general and football in particular, as our picture of the ten-year-old at a school soccer festival shows – and it is a scene parents Kevin and Dawn feared they would never see.

The Newbridge youngster played for his school, Nant Celyn Primary in Cwmbran, at its recent festival – yet four years ago the prospect of Rhys taking part in such a fun event seemed a distant dream.

A global search had begun for a suitable donor for a bone marrow transplant that represented his only chance of surviving Nemo, an extremely rare genetic disorder that leaves patients with virtually no immune system. Even when a donor was found and Rhys underwent pioneering treatment involving a gruelling course of chemotherapy prior to his transplant, Mr and Mrs Harris were told he had only a 30 per cent chance of survival.

But after several months’ treatment under specialists in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Rhys became only the second child in the world to recover from Nemo.

He returned to Gwent and resumed his schooling as his family, including eight-yearold brother Morgan, tried to get back to normality.

“It’s been really good to have all that over, but Rhys has still been through a lot since,” said Mr Harris.

“He’s had surgery on his Achilles’ tendons, to lengthen them so he can walk better.

They had tightened up, we think because of the other treatment he’s had, and he was walking on his tiptoes.

“He was in plaster for six months with that, and next month he’s having cochlear implants in his ears to try to improve his hearing.

“He had meningitis at nine months old and we think that’s when he lost his hearing.

He’s desperate to have them because he’s got to have the opportunity to be able to talk.

“One ear pretty much doesn’t work and he’s severely deaf in the other. He’ll have the implants next month.”

Sport’s the big thing for ‘fearless’ lad

PRIOR to his next hospital appointment, Rhys is enjoying his sport.

As well as the football festival, he benefits from football coaching, which Cardiff City provides for deaf children, and he is also skiing on the dry slope at Pontypool.

“That’s good because the boots are rigid and he has to have his feet in the right position,”

said Mr Harris.

“But the big thing with Rhys is he’s ultra-determined, and he’s fearless.

“He loves his sport, and though school isn’t his favourite thing he’s coming along.

“It’s been tough and he has a few tell-tale scars, but to look at him you wouldn’t be able to tell what he’s been through.”

  • See more pictures from the tournament in Thursday’s Argus junior sport section.