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Leo McFaulds, eight, required a kidney transplant after he and his four-year-old brother Samuel became ill with the rare disease. E. coli causes Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) – an illness which affects the blood and blood vessels, resulting in anaemia and kidney failure.

Leo went from being a typical happy, healthy boy, who played in the garden with his brother and attended school, to being completely hospital-bound and unable to fully engage with normal life

Louise McFaulds, Leo’s mum

Their devastated parents Louise and Anthony believe the kids caught the disease during a walk in the countryside amid lockdown, Daily Record reports.

It’s thought the boys came into contact with contaminated water or faeces in the Scottish Highlands on the walk.

The family, from Elgin, Moray, relocated to Glasgow where the boys were treated at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) – one of only two children’s kidney transplant centres in the UK.

Samuel made a recovery after being treated with dialysis but his sibling’s condition worsened in May 2020. Leo was in hospital for more than two months before being moved onto kidney dialysis three times a week. Doctors soon decided he needed a renal transplant.

Mum Louise was a perfect match and the transplant took place on February 10 this year, nine months after he first fell unwell.

“To have both boys struck down with the same illness and both having lifesaving treatment at the same time was harrowing,” the mum said today.

“It was an awful time for our family as it came on so suddenly.

“Thankfully Samuel recovered relatively quickly, but Leo went from being a typical happy, healthy boy, who played in the garden with his brother and attended school, to being completely hospital-bound and unable to fully engage with normal life.”

Now brave Leo has returned to school, enjoys swimming regularly and playing with his mates.

Louise, a primary school teacher, continued: “His bravery and optimism through this has been inspiring.

“I was naturally over the moon when we found I was a match, and despite the pandemic, from then on everything in the transplant work up process seemed to go like clockwork.

“Leo will always have kidney disease, and Samuel and myself will have follow up for some time to come.

“We know there will be bumps in the road ahead, but to look back six months, to compare where we are now it’s a miracle really.

“Leo now has his life back and we’ll be counting the small milestones – going back to school, going swimming and maybe even a holiday – as victories and we will never take any of these happy family moments for granted in future.”

Dr Ben Reynolds, consultant paediatric nephrologist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, who leads the transplant service, said: “It is fantastic to see Leo recovering well and full of energy again, full of eight- year-old mischief and silliness.

“At RHC we’re lucky to be one of only two children’s kidney transplant centres in the UK able to maintain a full schedule of renal transplants throughout the pandemic.

“This is so important for children like Leo where there is a well matched donor, and the operation means we can get them off dialysis and back to as normal a life, as quickly as possible.

“Transplant is almost always the best thing for any child on dialysis.

“The change to the kidney opt-out scheme in Scotland at the end of the March still relies on people registering their wishes.

“We would always encourage anyone to discuss this with their families and loved ones about giving “the gift of life.”

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