Rhys Evans, the United Kingdom's first "bubble baby," has returned to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to thank the doctors who saved his life a quarter-century ago. Evans, who was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), spent his first year in a sterile bubble to protect him from infections due to his lack of a functioning immune system.
Concerns about Evans's health arose in 2001 when he fell ill after his mother stopped breastfeeding, leading to a series of infections. Doctors in Wales were unable to diagnose the infant, prompting his transfer to GOSH in London. There, it was determined he had SCID, a rare genetic condition that left him vulnerable to even minor illnesses, and doctors gave him a life expectancy of just two years.
His parents, Mark and Marie, consented to an experimental treatment involving gene therapy, a procedure that replaced his faulty genes. Evans became the first child in Britain to undergo such a treatment. Within weeks of the procedure, his body began to develop its own immune system.
Now 25, Evans has gone on to live a normal life, attending school and university, and is planning his future. He recently visited GOSH to commemorate the anniversary of his treatment and express his gratitude. "I wouldn't be here without the treatment I received at GOSH," Evans stated. "Growing up, I've been able to live a normal life, go to school and university, see friends and plan for the future - things my family once couldn't take for granted."
Kimberly Gilmour, who processed Evans's cells in 2001 and is now chief of laboratory medicine at GOSH, recalled the uncertainty surrounding the breakthrough trial. "Before Rhys, we had never worked with fresh cells before, so it was quite daunting," she said. "His parents were in the office watching us go through the glass into the lab. We took the cells to the ward to Rhys, and we didn't know if this would be a cure. We were delighted that he did so well."
Since Evans's pioneering treatment, GOSH has administered 35 different cell and gene therapies to over 135 children with rare conditions. The hospital is now a global center of excellence for gene therapy, having treated more patients with the technology than any other institution in Europe. Evans, who currently works in a coffee shop and at Butlins, continues to take antibiotics to support his immune system but describes himself as now "95 percent normal."