The mother of a baby boy diagnosed with a rare blood condition a week before his first birthday is urging people to join the stem cell register in the hopes of curing her son.<\/p>\n
Ronnie, from Merseyside, had just started crawling when his mother Laura noticed he was bruising more.<\/p>\n
The one-year-old was eventually diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, which is fatal if left untreated.<\/p>\n
![\"Ronnie,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NYZTMCRXVRMQXCEECNGOCRNC6E.jpg\")
Ronnie, from Merseyside, was diagnosed with the rare blood disorder aplastic anaemia just before his first birthday. His only hope of a cure is a stem cell transplant. His family, including mum Laura, 30, are working with Anthony Nolan on the Register4Ronnie campaign to get more people to sign the stem cell register and raise awareness of the condition (Anthony Nolan) <\/p>\n
It happens when the bone marrow cannot make enough new blood cells for the body to work normally, with around 100 to 150 new cases in the UK every year.<\/p>\n
Laura, 30, said:\u00a0\u201cHe had only just started crawling,\u00a0then three days later when I got him\u00a0up,\u00a0he had blood coming from his nose, blisters in his mouth,\u00a0and red dots on his body.\u201d<\/p>\n Ronnie was rushed to hospital where medics initially suspected he had leukaemia, a type of blood cancer.<\/p>\n He was then taken to Alder Hey Children\u2019s Hospital in Liverpool for blood and platelet transfusions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe room went quiet,\u00a0our hearts were pounding, and then instantly our minds\u00a0were\u00a0jumping to the\u00a0worst-case\u00a0scenario and thinking how is my\u00a011-month-old\u00a0meant to battle such a deadly\u00a0disease\u00a0at such a young age,\u201d Laura said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a day that will forever be engraved in our minds, every\u00a0time we\u00a0hear sirens now it takes us back to that night\u00a0of being blue lighted to\u00a0Alder\u00a0Hey.\u201d<\/p>\n Cancer was later ruled out, although doctors were struggling to test Ronnie\u2019s bone marrow as it was so sparse.<\/p>\n The family was told his levels were at 5% with very few cells, when a baby his age should have 100%.<\/p>\n A second test eventually revealed Ronnie had aplastic anaemia and his parents were told a bone marrow transplant would be his only hope of a cure.<\/p>\n Aplastic anaemia can affect anyone at any age, but is more common in people aged between 10 and 20, and those over 60.<\/p>\n Symptoms include tiredness, shortness of breath, headaches, bleeding from the nose or gums, and infections.<\/p>\n Laura said her son is still \u201chappy and smiling\u201d despite having infusions and injections to stimulate his bone marrow production.<\/p>\n However, there is also a worry over infections as Ronnie has been diagnosed with neutropenia.<\/p>\n This causes a type of white blood cell that is essential for fighting bacterial infections to become abnormally low.<\/p>\n The family is working with the charity Anthony Nolan on the Register4Ronnie campaign.<\/p>\n They hope this will encourage more people to join the stem cell register to help children like Ronnie, as well as youngsters with other conditions such as leukaemia.<\/p>\n \u201cNow we have a\u202fdiagnosis we\u202fhave to\u202fdo something to help,\u201d Laura said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many other kids out there who need a match, we are putting it out there for Ronnie and to educate people about the lifesaving potential\u00a0of stem cell transplants.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing from\u202fMerseyside,\u00a0we\u00a0all stick together from here.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sharing Ronnie\u2019s story because we want people to get tested, if a match comes up for him then great, but a match for someone else, that\u2019s\u00a0amazing as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Joining the Anthony Nolan register is free and is aimed at people aged between 16 and 30.<\/p>\n After registering online, the charity will send out a swab pack, which can be posted back once completed.<\/p>\n Laura added that the family is also aiming to raise awareness of aplastic\u00a0anaemia, adding: \u201cNo-one\u2019s\u00a0heard of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Rowena Bentley, head of programme and community recruitment at Anthony Nolan, said:\u202f\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0heartbreaking that baby Ronnie and his family are going\u00a0through\u00a0this, and we are doing our best to support them.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Anthony Nolan we give hope to families affected by blood cancers and disorders, but we\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0do it without the lifesavers that sign up to our register.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you are aged 16-30, please sign up to the Anthony Nolan register online and send back your swabs.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could be the match that someone like baby Ronnie needs to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The mother of a baby boy diagnosed with a rare blood condition a week before his first 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<\/a>![\"Richard](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7AYWYLLQRJNX3ALCQJCDEMCQCQ.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Ronnie,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/OXRFWJHB7FOC5EKM6X3LZNJJYQ.jpg\")
Ronnie, from Merseyside, was diagnosed with the rare blood disorder aplastic anaemia just before his first birthday. His only hope of a cure is a stem cell transplant. His family, including mum Laura, 30, are working with Anthony Nolan on the Register4Ronnie campaign to get more people to sign the stem cell register and raise awareness of the condition (Anthony Nolan) <\/p>\n