Ollie sees behind the scenes in the lab at the William Harvey Hospital

A schoolboy recovering from leukaemia was able to see behind the scenes of his treatment during a visit to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Seven-year-old Ollie Bragiel had a tour of the laboratory, and was able to learn about blood transfusion and see what happened to blood samples after they arrive with the team. 

The youngster has regular blood tests at the hospital and spent some time on children’s ward Padua during his treatment, which was led by medics at the Royal Marsden Hospital and included a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Mum Aga said: “When Ollie has to have blood taken, the fantastic play specialist Ailish is always on hand to distract him and to explain what is happening, and she suggested that a visit to the lab might be a good idea too.

“He really enjoyed being able to look around, and his dad Terry and I also found it really interesting to see behind the scenes and to understand more of the work that goes on there.

“The team on Padua are absolutely brilliant. We got to know them all really well and they are fantastic and always make Ollie feel safe and cared for.”

Ollie was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in May 2022, aged just five, after his parents noticed a lot of unexplained bruises on his legs.

Aga, who works as an admin assistant, said: “We knew the bruises could be a sign of something serious but it was such a shock to be told it was leukaemia.

“We really didn’t imagine we would be hearing the worst possible news.”

Ollie had two rounds of chemotherapy in preparation for his bone marrow transplant, which replaced unhealthy stem cells with healthy ones. He has ongoing treatment of donor lymphocyte infusions to add more healthy cells and reduce the risk of relapse.

Aga said: “He is doing really well now and was able to go back to school in April after the transplant in September.

“We are very grateful to all the teams who have looked after him and thankful that he was given this opportunity to understand more about his treatment.”

The visit was arranged as part of the Harvey’s Gang initiative, set up in memory of a young boy with leukaemia who wanted to know more about what happened to his blood samples. Ollie received a certificate and goody bag to take home, as well as his own lab coat.

Phlebotomy service manager Liz Brown said: “These tours are such a brilliant way for children to understand the process and the hidden teams behind some of their care.

“All the staff on duty were delighted to welcome Ollie and his family and loved the chance to explain more about what they do every day behind the scenes and how that helps with people’s treatment.”