A brave little boy diagnosed with a rare disease is today starting a week of intensive chemotherapy before undergoing a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Aaron Jayden Storey, who is three, needs the operation to survive after being diagnosed with aplastic anaemia – a blood disorder.

The “brave little soldier” – a name given to him by his nana – will travel with his family to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary to prepare for the transplant, after which he will have to live in an isolation bubble.

The youngster, of Buchanan Road, Currock, Carlisle, was rushed to hospital in early December after he developed a bruise on his hip.

His mum Justine Wilson, 25, said: “Aaron had been to nursery and we’d been Christmas shopping and then to McDonald’s.

“When I got him home I put him in the bath and noticed the bruise.

“He hadn’t banged into anything so I had no idea where it had come from.

“The bruise was purple and lumpy so I took him to casualty and they carried out tests.”

The family stayed in hospital overnight waiting for news and the next morning the doctor asked to speak to Justine and Aaron’s dad, who is also called Aaron.

Justine said: “He took us into a private room and told us that Aaron needed to go to hospital in Newcastle as they suspected he might have leukaemia.

“We were devastated. It was a total shock. It turned our lives upside down.

“I just thought how could he have that when he is so normal?”

Further tests showed Aaron had aplastic anaemia but that he needed an urgent transplant.

And five months down the line, a donor match was found for Aaron, who used to attend Stepping Stones Nursery in Denton Holme.

Justine said: “It’s scary but we’ve just got to get on with it.

“Aaron’s like any normal boy – he loves rough and tumble and is very cheeky.

“He knows that something is the matter and that he needs to go to hospital but he’s unbelievably fine. He just plods on with it.

“He has to go to hospital a lot to have his main organs checked regularly and make sure he is ready for the transplant.

“He was also fitted with a special line into his chest so they could give him his bloods and medication easier.

“He recently got an infection in it so had to have it changed.”

Aaron will have intense chemotherapy for nine days before the transplant on the 10th day, scheduled to be about May 18.

Justine said: “He will have to stay in an isolation bubble for at least seven weeks to prevent infection, with only close family allowed in to see him.”

Aaron’s nana, Chel Green Hicks, is fundraising through Justgiving to raise cash for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust and awareness of the condition.

The 59-year-old, of Oaklands Drive, Currock, Carlisle, said: “This could happen to any healthy person like it has to my beautiful grandson Aaron Jayden.

What is Aplastic Anaemia?

Aplastic anaemia is a blood disorder in which the body's bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells.

If your bone marrow can't make enough new blood cells, many health problems can occur.

These problems include irregular heartbeats, an enlarged heart, heart failure, infections, and bleeding.

Aplastic anaemia is a rare but serious disorder. It can develop suddenly or slowly.

The disorder tends to get worse over time, unless its cause is found and treated.

Treatments for aplastic anaemia include blood transfusions, blood and marrow stem cell transplants and medicines.

With prompt and proper care, many people who have aplastic anaemia can be successfully treated.

“Becoming a bone marrow donor could save someone’s life. When we were told it wasn’t leukaemia it was a huge relief.

“They said Aaron would need a full bone marrow transplant sooner rather than later so he was tested for his bone marrow and thankfully he was a common match.

“More test results came back to say they had found an underlining disease dyskeratosis congenita, that affects one in a million.

“We know this is what has caused the aplastic anaemia.

“There is no cure for this dyskeratosis congenita but we were told after the bone marrow transplant has been done that hopefully the aplastic anaemia will not return.

“It’s going to be a long haul but so far this little man has been one of the bravest little soldiers I’ve ever met.

“Nothing fazes him, or gets him down, he most certainly is a one in a million for us.”

She added: “Despite everything he’s been through and is still going through, he never complains. He just gets on with it.

“He has the doctors and nurses on their toes in the hospital as he runs riot in the ward, on the fire engine and bikes.

“To look at him you’d think he’s just a normal, healthy, and hyper three-year-old boy, with not a care in the world.

“But really he’s a very ill little boy.”

Mrs Hicks will be holding a series of fundraising events over the coming months. Tesco has already donated a hamper for the family to raffle.

To donate and help raise awareness of aplastic anaemia visit  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aplasticbubbledonater