Rhys Harris, a five-year-old boy from south Wales has a rare genetic disease, Nemo, which is handicapping his immune system and has left him dying from tuberculosis. He has to be sealed into an airtight hospital chamber for treatment to try to save him from a terminal illness. He will have chemotherapy before a bone marrow transplant in pioneering surgery at Newcastle General Hospital. Rhys Harris, who loves rugby and adores his younger brother Morgan has a very slim chance of survival after the surgery. Initially Rhys, who is severely hearing impaired after having meningitis as a baby will remain inside a sterile ward, separated from the outside world by three airtight doors. Doctors are now screening for a bone marrow match ideally from a donor who has had TB and they plan to start Rhys's treatment soon. He will only be able to touch things placed on a red square surrounding his bed. After four weeks, the sterilized area will be extended to a 12x12m square. Altogether, he could stay in isolation for nine months His parents will need to be scrubbed down and wear surgical masks and robes before visiting Rhys, while his younger brother Morgan, four, will have to stay in touch via a webcam.

The professor said the only way to deal with Nemo was to hammer it out the body's immune system and restore it with one from a donated bone marrow. "But there is a great risk when a child's immune system is removed and that is why he will need to be put into this highly-protective regime for several weeks," he said.
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