Britain’s first bubble baby is all grown-up: Boy born without immune system returns to thank Great Ormond Street doctors who saved his life 25 years ago

The first baby in Britain to receive pioneering gene therapy has thanked the doctors who saved his life 25 years ago.

Rhys Evans was one of those kept in a sterilized ‘bubble’ at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to protect him from a rare genetic disease that left him without an immune system.

Concerns were sparked in 2001 when Rhys fell ill after his mother Marie stopped breastfeeding, leading to a series of infections.

The then-boy flew to London by helicopter to meet medical experts after doctors in Wales were unable to diagnose him.

It was revealed Rhys, from Cardiff, suffers from a rare genetic condition called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, which leaves him vulnerable to even the smallest infections.

Doctors gave him a life expectancy of two years. He was kept in a bubble while everything he was given, including toys, diapers, and food, was sterilized to prevent him from contracting any diseases.

Rhys’s parents, Mark and Marie, later agreed to experimental treatment to replace his faulty genes, making him the first person in Britain to do so.

Within a few weeks, his body began to develop its own immune system.

Rhys, now 25, was photographed graduating from university and visited Great Ormond Street hospital to thank the doctors who cared for him.

Rhys, now 25, returned to GOSH to mark the anniversary of his treatment and thank the staff who saved him.

‘I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the treatment I received at GOSH,’ he said.

‘Growing up I was able to live a normal life, go to school and university, meet my friends and make plans for the future; These were things my family could never take for granted.

‘It’s incredible to see how, 25 years later, gene therapy has helped so many children like me.’

Kimberly Gilmour, who processed Rhys’ cells in 2001 and now serves as laboratory chief at the hospital, explained the hesitations behind the groundbreaking experiment.

‘We had never worked with fresh cells before Rhys, so it was quite daunting,’ he said.

‘His parents were in the office watching us enter the laboratory through the glass window. We took the cells to Rhys’ ward and we didn’t know if it would be a cure. We’re so glad it was so successful.’

Since Rhys’ treatment, the hospital has administered 35 different cell and gene therapies to more than 135 children with rare conditions.

Rhys, who works in a cafe in Minehead and Butlins, continues to take antibiotics to keep his immune system working but describes himself as ’95 per cent normal’ now.

GOSH is now a global center of excellence in gene therapy and has treated more patients with this technology than anyone else in Europe.