A LITTLE fighter facing an ultra-rare syndrome underwent a life-saving bone marrow transplant and is back at home with his family after a gruelling year of intensive treatment.

Reggie Toms, aged two, was first diagnosed with Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome in December 2017, just one day after his first birthday.

The condition left him with a low platelets count and a weak immune system, meaning he was highly susceptible to infection.

Reggie's parents were told he is unlikely to live beyond his teens, with all their faith of a cure resting with a complex bone marrow transplant operation.

Dad Lionel, 30, said he and partner were overwhelmed by the response they received after appealing for help to be close to their son while he underwent treatment.

Hospitalised at Great Ormond Street for months, the parents had to take unpaid leave from their jobs to be by his side.

More than £8,500 has been raised to help the family.

The intensive treatment finally paid off and Reggie was allowed to return to his Clacton home at the start of March.

But the battle is far from over.

"He has a new immune system and it is very susceptible to attack," said Lionel.

"Even a basic cold could be really dangerous.

"He is not allowed to go back to school for another two years. If either Charlotte or myself gets ill we'll have to stay elsewhere.

"It is going to be a long process and there is still a lot that can go wrong."

Reggie must take around 30 different forms of medication daily, with his parents providing around the clock care while he recovers from his treatment.

He is supported by his two brothers George, aged six, and Ernie, eight months, who were recently able to make a long-awaited trip to Great Ormond Street to see Reggie.

Lionel, who has now had to quit his job as a restaurant general manager, said: "It was just surreal to finally get him home.

"He has had all of these barriers and he has smashed every one.

"Around my 30th birthday the whole family were allowed to come to hospital to see him and we were all together again.

"It was one of the best days of my life.

"It was like getting back to reality, they were eating together and I could just tell Reggie needed it."

Reggie's life was saved thanks to a bone marrow donor from Germany, where the population must 'opt out' of donating their organs.

In the UK, willing donors must sign up to a register to allow their organs to be put to use again - a law which is set to change from 2020.

Lionel said: "The transplant was a massive thing for us.

"Our donor was from Germany and is 19 years old.

"There are three outcomes. Either the cells fully take, it is 50/50, or it doesn't take.

"With Reggie it was a graft of 98 per cent, meaning it is doing what it needs to be doing.

"Now he has a second chance."