Brave Zach McCrossan (4) from St Johnston will today undergo a lifesaving bone marrow transplant in the Netherlands.
He travelled there with his family last week for the treatment for a rare blood disorder.
Little Zach was diagnosed with high-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder that progresses to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
It was a double shock for the family, as Zach’s mum Patrice (née Rodgers) was diagnosed with AML just a year earlier. Mum-of-four Patrice had a long journey of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, and continues to receive treatment to keep her illness at bay.
In the past year and a half, the McCrossan family has received incredible support from their family, friends and local community, and a GoFundMe for Zach’s treatment raised a six-figure sum in just 24 hours in April.
Their journey to the Netherlands will involve an estimated three months of inpatient treatment for Zach at the Princess Máxima Centre in Utrecht.
Posting on Facebook, his proud grandmother, Kathleen Rodgers, asked for prayers.
“Please pray for my grandson Zach McCrossan today who is having his bone marrow transplant in the Netherlands and for his mammy Patrice as well,” she said.
Zach and his family make another tough journey.