'The gift of a transplant is just the most wonderful gift you can give'

BRAVE BOY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH RARE DISEASE WHEN HE WAS A BABY

- NAOMI DESOUZA

A FAMILY has shared the remarkable strength shown by their four-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with a rare disease shortly after his birth.

Reagan Woodward's family first noticed something was wrong when he started to lose a lot of weight.

'Cheeky chappy' Reagan was sent for blood tests, which showed his potassium and sodium levels were very high.

He was transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital's Specialist Renal Department and was diagnosed with kidney disease - a rare condition to develop at such a young age.

At just 13 weeks old, Reagan had his first surgical procedure on Christmas Eve 2020, spending the festive period as an inpatient. He was also tube-fed from when he was three weeks old and has undergone several procedures since then.

Mum Michelle Fitzgerald, from Kingswinford, said: “Reagan spent the first two-and-a-half years of his life in and out of hospital. He’s been through so much in his first few years but has built up such good bonds with the staff.

“Almost everyone on Ward 1 at the Children’s has known Reagan since he was a tiny newborn baby. They have watched him grow and become the cheeky chappy he is today.”